Federal top up gives Ontario municipalities $1.6B for infrastructure
Ontario municipalities will soon receive more money for infrastructure projects through the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF).
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced on July 29 that the federal government had increased funding to Ontario’s municipalities under the former Gas Tax Fund by a further $816 million. The top up nearly doubles that amount allocated by the federal government to Ontario’s 646 towns, cities and local road boards. The province’s allocation now stands at more than $1.6 billion for the 2021–22 fiscal year.
“We know that cities and towns, which are responsible for local infrastructure that Canadians use, need urgent support,” said Freeland. “This investment makes sure they have this support as we rebuild together.”
Some of the projects earmarked for funding or already funded through the CCBF include the 19,000-square foot Oak Ridges Library in Richmond Hill, and a shoreline-protection project in the Town of Grimsby that sees the municipality install a revetment – a sloping structure made of armour stone and designed to absorb the energy of incoming water, helping to prevent the loss of municipal infrastructure such as road, water and sanitary services.
The City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), meanwhile, invested to make more subway stations accessible as part of the larger TTC’s Easier Access station accessibility retrofit program. Accessibility upgrades, including elevators, power-operated doors and new signage and wayfinding were completed at a number of stations.
“Municipal governments welcome permanent, stable funding for local infrastructure through the Canada Community-Building Fund,” said Graydon Smith, president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “With an additional $816 million in top-up funding this year, municipalities will be able to invest more in infrastructure that helps keep people safe and makes our communities stronger. Top-up funding will also help kickstart the local projects that play a key role in Ontario’s economic recovery.”
A complete list of municipalities and their total allocations for this year is available on the Infrastructure Canada website.
The Gas Tax Fund was renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund in late June. The government says the name change better reflects the program’s evolution over time. The fund supports more than 3,600 communities across the country, and thousands of projects annually from among 19 categories.
Communities can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
Featured image: The Oak Ridges Library in Richmond Hill was one of the Ontario projects funded under the Canada Community-Building Fund. (Perkins&Will)