Province commits $22 million to SW ON infrastructure
The Ontario government has pledged $22 million in funding to help municipalities in the southwestern region build and repair local roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Labour, Training and Skills Development Minister Monte McNaughton, who is also MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, made the announcement on January 6.
The funding will be shared among 14 municipalities, and for such projects as road and bridge repairs in Chatham-Kent, the reconstruction of Ravenswood Line and sewer projects on Ontario Street in Lambton Shores, the construction of a new Fire and EMS station in North Middlesex, and renovations to Queen Street in Strathroy-Caradoc.
“Across the province, small and rural towns are on the comeback, helping drive economic growth,” said McNaughton. “As more people look to the benefits of small-town living, this investment will bring thousands of new jobs to the region and ensure we have the services needed to support our residents.”
The announcement is part of the government’s additional $1 billion investment to help build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in small, rural and northern communities. The funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), which supports local infrastructure projects for communities with populations under 100,000, and will bring the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion over the next five years.
Funding allocations are based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities across the province. The new formula will include an increased funding minimum of $100,000 for all communities per year, up from $50,000 over previous years.
“Communities are the heartbeat of this province,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma. “Our government has been with them every step of the way. When we were told more funding supports were needed, we listened and acted in a meaningful way by providing the largest OCIF increase since the start of the program. By doing so, we’re providing stability and predictability to small, rural and northern communities to repair, upgrade, and modernize their critical infrastructure so that they are safer, healthier, and more reliable for all.”
2022 GRANT AMOUNTS
County of Lambton $2,270,403
Municipality of Brooke-Alvinston $273,665
Municipality of Lambton Shores $1,914,684
Municipality of Middlesex Centre $2,064,113
Municipality of North Middlesex $563,777
Municipality of Southwest Middlesex $738,271
Township of Adelaide-Metcalfe $193,101
Township of Dawn-Euphemia $138,032
Township of Lucan Biddulph $401,088
Township of Strathroy-Caradoc $1,709,568
Township of Warwick $506,927
Village of Newbury $100,000
Municipality of Chatham-Kent $10,000,000
County of Middlesex $1,309,221