Five communities in Quebec receive support for stronger asset management practices
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 28, 2020 /CNW/ - As we continue to adapt to the new physical, social and economic realities presented by COVID-19, all orders of government are working together to ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians. This includes providing local communities with tools and support for evidence-based decision-making that will help them plan a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for everyone.
That's why the Government of Canada is investing over $207,000 in five Quebec communities through the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government.
The program aims to strengthen infrastructure investment decisions based on reliable data and sound asset management practices through asset management training, funding and information sharing.
The village of Laurier-Station will update its asset inventory of sewers and ad-hoc equipment by organizing and structuring the data along with information from other related assets (water system, roadways), so that they are accessible and can be used within an asset planning tool that will improve the decision-making process.
The municipality of Val-des-Bois will hire a resource person to gather and analyze information on the condition of municipal assets. The municipality will provide elected officials and staff with training on their roles and responsibilities with respect to the assets. The municipality will develop an action plan for the adoption of an asset management policy.
The municipality of St-Pacôme will adopt a methodology and structure to collect data and implement tools to develop asset maintenance investment plans.
The united township municipality of Latulipe-et-Gaboury will strengthen its knowledge of the location and condition of its road infrastructure by creating a register for the condition of roadways and culverts. It will establish preventive, palliative and curative interventions over a five-year period for its intervention budgets. The municipality will also train staff on better strategies for maintaining and improving its assets to save money, extend service life and reduce the risk of major problems occurring.
The parish of Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière will update and structure data related to building and ad-hoc equipment assets, in order to organize information and make it accessible, and to improve its knowledge and decision-making process for investing in maintenance, upgrading or repairing assets.
Quotes
"These investments are providing municipalities in Quebec with the tools and training they need to plan, build and maintain their roads, water systems, buildings and other key infrastructure for years to come. The COVID-19 health crisis has reinforced the importance of effective and modern infrastructure that support safe, sustainable and healthy communities. With a clear line of sight on their long-term needs, local governments will be able to make sound investment decisions on projects that contribute to cleaner, more livable communities for their children and grandchildren. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"Rural communities are the backbone of the Canadian economy and among the best places in Canada to call home. Smart investments in infrastructure help smaller communities to grow, strengthen their economies and improve quality of life for their residents. Through projects like those announced today, our government is helping to ensure that local leaders, especially those in rural areas, have the tools they need to plan for the long-term and creating stronger rural communities now and for generations to come."
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development
"Communities need the right training and tools to strategically plan, build, and maintain their infrastructure for future generations. That's why we are proud to make important investments that will help local governments grow their local economy, build more resilient and sustainable communities, and improve quality of life for residents in all regions of Quebec."
Stéphane Lauzon, Member of Parliament for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, Quebec
"Municipalities are Canada's builders. With responsibility over two-thirds of our public infrastructure—and as the governments closest to daily life for Canadians across the country—local leaders are building strong, vibrant, and sustainable communities. That's why having access to the right tools and information at the local level is so important. It's how we're able to build better lives."
Garth Frizzell, President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Quick facts
- The Government of Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities announce support for five new asset management initiatives in rural communities in Quebec:
- Laurier-Station – Upgrade of the technical and financial data of assets, and planning tool: $50,000
- Val-des-Bois – Management of municipal assets: $50,000
- St-Pacôme – Data collection and implementation of asset management tools: $33,600
- Latulipe-et-Gaboury – Improvement of road infrastructure knowledge and development of planning tools: $24,320
- Saint-Édouard-de-Lotbinière – Upgrade of technical and financial data of assets, and planning tool: $50,000
- The $110-million Municipal Asset Management Program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada, has invested in more than 660 municipal asset management projects.
- To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
- 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 in a variety of areas including disaster mitigation and adaptation projects and pandemic-resilient infrastructure.
- Furthermore, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years.
Associated links
Municipal Asset Management Program
Infrastructure in your Community
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
Investing in Canada plan project map
Speech from the Throne: A stronger and more resilient Canada
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; FCM Media Relations, 613-907-6395, [email protected]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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