A handful of Ontario communities have received funding from the federal government to improve their infrastructure asset-management practices.

Infrastructure Canada announced on July 20 that it will invest more than $361,000 in eight projects to provide municipalities with tools to make evidence-based decisions about key infrastructure such as roads, water systems and buildings.

The funding is being provided through the Municipal Asset Management Program, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government. The $110-million program provides asset-management training, funding and information sharing to enable municipalities to access the data needed to plan investments effectively. 

“Local governments own and operate nearly two thirds of Canada’s core infrastructure, alongside vital services, and they’re working flat-out to support Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Bill Karsten, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. “Strong asset management practices will help them make even better infrastructure investment decisions as Canada looks toward recovery.”

The Town of Milton will receive $50,000 to update its asset management plan to include all core municipal infrastructure assets (roads, bridges, culverts, traffic, and stormwater management). The plan will document all current asset inventory including replacement cost and condition, current levels of service being provided, a lifecycle management strategy, the amount and timing of future investments required to support the lifecycle management strategy, associated risks and risk management strategies and will identify and prioritize asset management improvement actions.

The Township of Stone Mills will receive $32,500 to develop of a state of the infrastructure and asset management plan to identify deficiencies in the existing road and bridge networks and to prepare strategies to remediate these deficiencies.

Other projects funded under the plan include:

• $50,000 to the Municipality of Huron East to develop an asset management program,
• $45,760 to the City of Waterloo for the collection and condition assessment of park assets, and
• $50,000 to the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio for a state of the infrastructure and level of service analysis.

“Projects like the ones announced today will provide the planning tools and training to help local governments in Ontario plan for their future,” said Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna. “These communities will undertake different activities to improve their asset management practices, resulting in data-driven decisions for their local infrastructure such as roads, bridges, parks, and water treatment plants.”