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Ottawa Journal by David Tilson MP — Supporting new infrastructure projects through the New Building Canada Plan

July 8, 2015   ·   0 Comments

Our government has remained committed to strengthening public infrastructure since coming to office in 2006.
We know that such investments are key to economic growth, job creation, long-term prosperity and the quality of life for Canadians in communities all across Canada. This is why we’ve made significant investments to build roads, bridges, watermains, sanitary sewers, commuter rail and other public infrastructure across the country, including here in Dufferin-Caledon. The $53 billion New Building Canada Plan, the largest long-term federal infrastructure plan in our nation’s history, builds on our previous investments to give Canadian provinces, territories and municipalities the continued flexibility to meet their unique infrastructure needs.
The facts on our government’s infrastructure investments cannot be disputed. Since 2006, Canada has consistently led G7 countries in infrastructure spending as a rate of GDP and the average age of core infrastructure is now at its youngest since data began being collected in 1961. Here in Ontario, our government is making record levels of investments in infrastructure, while at the same time, lowering taxes for middle class Canadians and balancing the budget. In fact, on average, our government is investing almost six times more in infrastructure support to Ontario than the previous government. We have invested an average of $1.53 billion per year in this province.
Here in Dufferin-Caledon, we have significantly benefited from our government’s infrastructure investments since 2006 through the $2.275 billion Provincial-Territorial Base Fund, established under the 2007 Building Canada Plan. The Fund was established to provide funding to provinces and territories to assist in building or renewing infrastructure. Looking back, we can note the federal government’s funding support for upgrades to the Shelburne Community Centre ($1 million), as well as the construction of a water treatment facility and installation of water metres in Shelburne ($1.3 million). In Orangeville, several projects received support from the Fund, including the William Street watermain and sanitary sewer replacement ($600,000); the Dufferin County Administration and Provincial Offences Court addition ($2.7 million); the reconstruction of roads and services in the South Park Subdivision ($1.65 million); and renovations to the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre ($500,000). Mulmur received support for its rehabilitation of the Mulmur Landfill Road ($602,850). Three projects in Mono received federal contributions from our government, including the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park construction ($9,000); the Blind Line Reconstruction ($507,667); and the replacement of Mono Bridge 26 ($162,609). In Grand Valley, the federal contribution to the Grand Valley Wastewater Servicing Program was $5,213,652. East Garafraxa also benefited from federal contributions for two projects which included the 10th Line improvement ($224,586) and improvements to A Line ($82,736). Amaranth received Federal support from the Fund for its sand storage building ($86,711). Caledon also benefited from federal contributions from the Fund for several projects, including the resurfacing of Highway 9 from 2.4 kilometres west of Regional Road 50 to one kilometre west of Airport Road ($2 million); water servicing for Campbell’s Cross and Victoria ($1,717,100); the interconnection of the Caledon East and Palgrave water system ($1,394,863); the Gore Road rehabilitation ($83,333); and the replacement of the Heart Lake Road bridge ($256,750).

         

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