PM Stephen Harper announces Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program

Toronto: Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the new Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, which will provide significant support for existing community and cultural infrastructure across the country as a way to celebrate Canada’s 150^thanniversary of Confederation. He was joined by Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), and Scott Armstrong, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.

The program will provide support for the renovation, expansion and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure that provides community and cultural benefits for the public. Projects under the following categories may be eligible for funding: community centres (including Royal Canadian Legions), cultural centres and museums, parks, recreational trails, libraries, recreational facilities, tourism facilities, docks, cenotaphs and other existing community infrastructure.

The program, which is anticipated to support up to 1,800 projects in communities of all sizes across the country, will be delivered nationally through the Government of Canada’s regional economic development agencies. Eligible recipients for funding include provinces, territories, municipalities, regional governments, Aboriginal organizations and not-for-profit organizations. Applicants can submit their application online through their respective regional economic development agency. Extensive consultations with Canadians helped inform the initiative.

Selected projects are expected to be completed by the end of the 2017 construction season to best support Canada 150 celebrations. The program is expected to boost economic activity through infrastructure investments, build community-based partnerships and modernize existing community facilities.

The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program will complement the $53 billion invested in infrastructure by our Government through the New Building Canada Plan, which is focused on generating economic growth, job creation and long-term prosperity. The New Building Canada Plan, which is the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada’s history, will generate benefits for the province and its citizens for years to come. The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program will also complement the recently announced Canada 150 Fund, managed by the Department of Canadian Heritage, which will create opportunities for Canadians to participate in local, regional, and national celebrations that contribute to building a sense of pride and attachment to Canada.

Quick Facts

• The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program was announced in Economic Action Plan 2015.
• The 150^th anniversary of Confederation provides the Government with an opportunity to celebrate Canada’s history, heritage, values and future by reinvesting in community infrastructure across the country, similar to the important infrastructure investments made as part of our nation’s centennial celebrations in 1967 which can still be seen in communities today.
• Projects that will be supported by the program will be chosen based on assessment criteria including construction-readiness, the extent to which funding is leveraged from other sources and linkages to Canada 150.
• The program will be delivered nationally through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, Western Economic Diversification and Industry Canada (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario).
• The Government of Canada has undertaken many projects to improve infrastructure in Nova Scotia. Since 2006, significant investments under the Building Canada Fund, the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund, and the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund have helped the Government of Nova Scotia and its municipalities make infrastructure improvements for the benefit of all Nova Scotians. Municipalities in Nova Scotia have also benefited from funding provided to the province through the federal Gas Tax Fund. Combined with investments under other federal infrastructure programs, Nova Scotia has benefited from over $1.1 billion toward infrastructure improvements across the province.

Quote

“The 150^th anniversary of Confederation is a time to celebrate the places across this great country that unite and connect us – the parks, the trails, the cultural and community centres. The infrastructure program being announced today will help preserve and improve these treasured cultural and community locations, allowing Canadians and their families to enjoy moments of sport, recreation, leisure and contemplation for years to come. It is a fitting legacy for Canada’s sesquicentennial.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper