CALGARY, AB, Aug. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - The health and safety of all Canadians are top priorities for the Government of Canada. Communities across the country are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, and need immediate assistance to ensure their public infrastructure is safe and reliable. That is why the Government of Canada is taking decisive action to support communities and stabilize the economy.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced that Alberta has received more than $254 million through the new Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) for the 2021–22 fiscal year, along with a top-up of more than $243 million. This top-up doubles the amount of money that Alberta communities received through the program in 2020-21, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents.
The CCBF provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories. For example, the Town of Sedgewick used a $200,000 allocation to replace the roof of the municipality's arena. Rocky View County invested nearly $1.2 million in CCBF funding to upgrade a portion of Inverlake Road, including raising the height of the road to prevent flooding from surrounding wetlands. The Town of Wembley applied a $210,000 allocation to the rejuvenation of Sunset Lake Park, including a new spray park, updated gazebo, and new washroom and change room facilities.
Fire halls and fire station infrastructure have been added as an investment category for the program. This addition will contribute to the program's objective of building stronger and more resilient communities.
By enabling communities to plan for their current and future needs, and build or improve the infrastructure that will help them thrive through any circumstance, the CCBF is a critical tool that will help ensure Alberta remains among the best places in the world to live for generations to come.
Quotes
"The doubling of the Canada Community-Building Fund will deliver close to $500 million to improve the daily lives of people in Alberta, and across Canada, by allowing municipalities of all sizes to invest in critical infrastructure projects while creating jobs in their communities. The flexibility of the categories that include everything from roads to recreation infrastructure allows Albertans to plan for the long-term therefore ensuring we're building stronger more resilient communities for all."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Quick facts
- As of June 29, 2021, the Gas Tax Fund has been renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund. This name change better reflects the program's evolution over time and will not alter or modify the objectives or requirements of the program.
- The Canada Community-Building Fund is a long-term, indexed source of funding for over 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years it has supported thousands of projects annually.
- The CCBF has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and broadband. Communities can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
Related products
Backgrounder: Alberta's 2021‒22 federal Canada Community-Building Fund allocations and top-up amounts
Associated links
Prime Minister announces support to help communities create jobs and restart the economy
Government of Canada Resources - Coronavirus disease (COVID 19)
Federal Gas Tax Fund (Canada Community-Building Fund)
Federal Gas Tax Fund in Alberta
Federal infrastructure investments in Alberta
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Emelyana Titarenko, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Cell: 873-355-9576, [email protected]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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