Expanded infrastructure program offers new support for COVID-19 community resilience in Nova Scotia Français
HALIFAX, NS, Aug. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Canada's communities are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and need immediate help as they adjust their public infrastructure priorities to our new reality. As part of continuing decisive action to address the pandemic, the Government of Canada supports building up modern, efficient and sustainable public infrastructure that ensures the health and safety of our communities, stabilizes our economy and provides access to essential services for all Canadians.
Today, Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced that Nova Scotia now has the option to allocate up to $82,849,316, representing 10% of its total allocation under the Investing in Canada infrastructure program, towards projects under a new COVID Resilience funding stream. This follows the announcement on July 30 by the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, of changes to the program to help address the current health crisis through quick-start, short-term projects.
Whether upgrading hospitals, long-term care homes and schools to deal with social distancing requirements, building cycling and walking paths to help Canadians stay healthy, active and safe, or supporting disaster mitigation projects that protect against floods and fires, these changes will help get more infrastructure projects underway faster, while continuing to support our long-term goals of building sustainable, economically vibrant, low-carbon, and inclusive communities.
Projects under the new stream will be eligible for a significantly larger federal cost share – up to 80 per cent for provinces, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations in provinces, and raising it to 100 per cent for territorial projects designated under the new stream. In addition to the new time-limited stream, a simplified application process for funding will ensure that projects can get underway as soon as possible, and accelerated approvals will ensure that provinces and territories can address pressing needs in a timely manner.
These changes will benefit communities of all sizes, including rural Canada. In addition, rural and remote communities will have access to mobile and cellular projects that can be completed in the near-term.
Quotes
"Nova Scotians need help to protect their health, improve their quality of life, and create jobs as we deal with the health and economic fall-out of COVID-19. This flexible infrastructure funding will make it easier to invest in safety measures at schools, long-term care facilities and hospitals and to build projects that allow people to safely stay active outdoors. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."
Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax
Quick Facts
- Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
- To support Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic, the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure program now includes a new stream to directly respond to the immediate pressures and concerns as a result of the current pandemic, new eligible project categories, and faster approvals.
- The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects to 80% in the provinces, and funding 100% of the cost of projects in the territories and for projects with Indigenous recipients.
- To be eligible for funding under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, the project's eligible costs must be under $10 million, construction must be started no later than September 30, 2021, and it must be completed by the end of 2021 (or by the end of 2022 in the territories and in remote communities).
- The Investing in Canada Infrastructure program is delivered through bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories to make unprecedented investments in public infrastructure.
- Funding delivered through the federal Gas Tax Fund was accelerated this year to provide $2.2 billion in one payment in June to help communities quickly move forward with infrastructure projects that will stabilize local economies.
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Backgrounder - Infrastructure program expands to support COVID-19 community resilience
Backgrounder
Infrastructure program expands to support COVID-19 community resilience
To address the challenges faced by communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the over $33 billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program now includes a new stream designed to deliver more infrastructure projects during the pandemic by increasing the types of eligible projects and accelerating project approvals. The expanded Program takes steps to address the current health crisis and support economic stability with existing funds and programs.
The new COVID-19 Resilience stream will help communities respond to the immediate pressures and concerns as a result of the current pandemic as well as build resiliency for the future. The new time-limited stream will have an increased federal cost-share for a broadened range of infrastructure projects and a simplified approval process to allow work to get underway quickly while respecting public health measures.
COVID-19 Resilience Stream
Provinces and territories have the option to transfer up to 10 per cent of their initial allocation under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program integrated bilateral agreements to the COVID-19 Resilience stream to benefit from up to an 80 per cent federal cost share or 100 per cent federal cost share for Indigenous projects and projects in the territories.
All jurisdictions have at least 10 per cent of their total initial allocation remaining, positioning them to move forward with infrastructure projects in the near term under the new COVID-19 Resilience stream. It is important to note that the flexibility to transfer to the new stream is an opt-in approach, meaning that provinces and territories can voluntarily transfer up to 10 per cent to this new stream.
JURISDICTION |
COVID-19 STREAM MAXIMUM ALLOCATION |
Newfoundland and Labrador |
$55,584,285 |
Prince Edward Island |
$36,697,732 |
Nova Scotia |
$82,849,316 |
New Brunswick |
$67,321,757 |
Quebec |
$753,593,792 |
Ontario |
$1,184,648,346 |
Manitoba |
$117,207,615 |
Saskatchewan |
$89,632,301 |
Alberta |
$339,785,704 |
British Columbia |
$412,968,016 |
Yukon |
$44,561,730 |
Northwest Territories |
$57,077,683 |
Nunavut |
$56,676,162 |
TOTAL |
$3,298,604,439 |
Stream funding transfers are subject to certain conditions, such as requiring concurrence by the municipal authorities affected by transfers out of the Public Transit stream, and meeting the Climate Change Mitigation sub-stream 45 per cent allocation target under the Green Infrastructure stream.
To be eligible for funding under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, the project's eligible costs must be under $10 million, construction must be started no later than September 30, 2021, and it must be completed by the end of 2021 (or by the end of 2022 in the territories and in remote communities).
The COVID-19 Resilience stream will fund the following types of infrastructure projects:
- Retrofits, repairs and upgrades for provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous buildings; health infrastructure; and schools;
- COVID-19 response infrastructure, including measures to support physical distancing;
- Active transportation infrastructure, including parks, trails, foot bridges, bike lanes and multi-use paths; and
- Disaster mitigation and adaptation projects, including natural infrastructure, flood and fire mitigation, and tree planting and related infrastructure.
Expanded Project Eligibility
Eligibility criteria in the Program's existing streams has also been expanded. For projects that can start before September 30, 2021, the following additional flexibilities are available:
- Public Transit stream: now allows standalone pathways and active transportation projects; as well as public sector inter-community commuter transit services; and public sector commuter ferry infrastructure that are not part of an existing transit system.
- Green Infrastructure stream: also allows standalone pathways and active transportation projects.
- Rural and Northern Infrastructure stream: mobile and cellular projects under the broadband category; and energy efficiency or reliability projects for communities on established electricity grids under the Arctic Energy Fund.
Faster Approvals
Under the new COVID-19 Resilience stream, Infrastructure Canada will provide accelerated approvals to ensure that provinces and territories can address pressing needs in a timely manner. Provinces and Territories will be able to submit lists of quick-start, short-term projects to Infrastructure Canada for consideration rather than project-by-project proposals. The application process will also focus on the essential elements required for Infrastructure Canada's review and approval like asset class, location, description, dates, and financial information.
Amendments to the integrated bilateral agreements will be negotiated with Provinces and Territories in the coming weeks in order to take advantage of the new flexibilities.
Associated Links
Investing in COVID-19 Community Resilience:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/covid-19-resilience-eng.html
Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html
More support for Canadians through the Safe Restart Agreement:
https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2020/07/16/more-support-canadians-through-safe-restart-agreement
Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html
The Federal Gas Tax Fund:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-949-1759, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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