Province tops up annual northern infrastructure funding
The province of Ontario says it will spend an extra $15 million annually over the next five years to help northern municipalities build infrastructure projects.
The funding comes from the new Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) fund, which will share the benefits of mining and forestry with municipalities and complement existing funding streams for building infrastructure.
"Northern communities face unique realities, as do the industries and sectors that drive our northern economy," said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “Programs such as NORDS are central to our vision for building strong northern communities, supporting economic development, and creating optimum conditions for businesses to thrive, grow and create good jobs."
NORDS is part of the government’s Building Ontario plan, a comprehensive plan to build transit, health, education, technology and municipal and community infrastructure across the province. The program is open to all 144 northern municipalities in the province, and funding will be allocated based on local household counts.
Applications for the funding open on December 7, and the province expects to deliver money to eligible municipalities by the end of March.
"This investment will have a significant positive impact on communities in Northern Ontario,” said Wendy Landry, President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association. “This will support sustainable growth and development and help our region recover post-pandemic."
The province has also announced an additional $1 billion worth of funding through its Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund to help small, rural and northern communities build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.