New Brunswick residents and visitors to benefit from improved tourist information centre and roads

OROMOCTO, NB, Aug. 14, 2019 /CNW/ - Strategic investments in public infrastructure, including funding for conservation of Canada's environment, tourism infrastructure, and improved roads, play a key role in building strong communities and creating good jobs that help grow the middle class.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Matt DeCourcey, Member of Parliament for Fredericton; the Honourable Mary Wilson, Minister of Economic Development and Small Business; the Honourbale Jeff Carr, Minister of Environment and Local Government; and Robert Powell, Mayor of Oromocto, today announced support for three projects that will provide better access to New Brunswick's wetlands, and improved roads for residents and tourists alike.

In the Town of Oromocto, funding will support the development of a new 300-square meter Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Centre. Once complete, visitors will be able to experience 17 hectares of the Oromocto wetlands through interactive educational and recreational programming that promotes conservation. 

Projects also include improving water culverts along Route 105, from Blue Bird Corner to Sheffield. This work will mitigate future damage to highway infrastructure during floods. Finally, Route 10 near Albrights Corner will benefit from road surface rehabilitation, providing a safer and more enjoyable travel experience for residents and tourists.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $3.7 million in these projects. The Government of New Brunswick is contributing over $4.2 million in total for the three projects, and the Town of Oromocto is providing $283,000 towards the Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Centre.

Quotes

"Conserving Canada's wetlands helps promote tourism and educate future generations about the importance of environmental sustainability. Our support for the new Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Centre, as well as improved regional roads, is another step towards creating healthy, livable communities for New Brunswickers and visitors alike."

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Ensuring our communities have safe roadways and infrastructure that supports tourism and economic development will help our region grow and prosper for generations to come. Local residents and visitors will benefit tremendously from the improvements announced today. Not only will they provide more enjoyable routes, but they also support increased opportunities to learn about, and protect, our natural environment."

Matt DeCourcey, Member of Parliament for Fredericton

"Ensuring that communities across Canada have modern infrastructure is essential to building a healthy, sustainable future. These investments are critical to building strong communities in New Brunswick that can reach their full potential."

The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development

"By investing in important infrastructure projects like Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Centre as well as our roads, we are helping communities like the Town of Oromocto have safe and convenient roadways and outdoor attractions that will help our region take advantage of a growing tourism industry."

The Honourable Mary Wilson, Minister of Economic Development and Small Business, Minister responsible for Opportunities New Brunswick

"I am pleased to discover that The Town of Oromocto has received a Small Community Fund and will be partnering with the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick to construct the new Gateway Wetland Visitor Information and Conservation Centre on Gateway Drive. The primary function of the Centre will be to replace the existing visitor information centre located at the corner of Waasis and Restigouche Roads. We look forward to working with our community partners, and our newly announced Federal and Provincial partners, to see this Project through to completion."

Robert Powell, Mayor of Oromocto 

Quick facts

• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure 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.
• $25.3 billion of this funding is supporting social infrastructure in Canadian communities.
• $26.9 billion of this funding is supporting green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• More than $10.1 billion of this funding is supporting trade and transportation projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• On June 27, 2019, the Government of Canada launched two new strategies: Canada's Connectivity Strategy, which commits to connect all Canadians to high-speed internet, and Canada's first Rural Economic Development Strategy, which will spur economic growth and create good, middle class jobs for rural Canadians across the country.
• The Rural Economic Development Strategy leverages ongoing federal investments and provides a vision for the future, identifying practical steps to take in the short term, and serving as a foundation to guide further work.
• These investments complement the Atlantic Growth Strategy, a federal-provincial action plan aimed at stimulating economic growth in the region through five priority areas:
• Skilled workforce/Immigration;
• Innovation;
• Clean growth and climate change;
• Trade and investment;
• Infrastructure.

Related product

Backgrounder

New Brunswick residents and visitors to benefit from improved tourist information centre and roads

Joint federal-provincial-municipal funding through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) and the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Communities Stream (RNIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, as well as the Small Communities Fund (SCF), will support three infrastructure projects in New Brunswick.

The Government of Canada is investing over $3.7 million towards these projects. The Government of New Brunswick is contributing over $4.2 million in total for the three projects, and the Town of Oromocto is providing $283,000 towards the Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Centre.

Project Information:

Project Name	Funding Stream	Federal Funding	Provincial Funding	Municipal Funding
Flood Mitigation –  Route 105 Blue Bird Corner to Sheffield	GIS	$2,787,500	$3,212,500	-
Paving – - Route 10, Little River Bridge No.1 to Route 670 Area, near Albrights Corner	RNIS	$719,000	$719,000	-
Town of Oromocto Gateway Wetland Tourist Information and Interpretive Center	SCF	$283,656	$283,656	$283,658

Associated links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan: 
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Investing in Canada plan project map:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map

Federal infrastructure investments in New Brunswick:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/investments-2002-investissements/nb-eng.html  

Rural Opportunity, National Prosperity: An Economic Development Strategy for Rural Canada:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural/strat-eng.html

Atlantic Growth Strategy: http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/ags-sca/Eng/atlantic-growth.html

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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Ann-Clara Vaillancourt, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-697-3778, [email protected]; Bruce Macfarlane, Communications Director, Regional Development Corporation, 506-444-4583, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca