Funding will support economic growth and job creation in Brantford-Brant
NEWS December 14th, 2022
BRANTFORD — The Ontario government is providing $10,040,928.00 to help renew and rehabilitate local infrastructure in the City Brantford and the County of Brant. The funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and is part of the government’s overall investment of $400 million in 2023.
“Municipalities are the heartbeat of our province,” said Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma. “Ontario is providing stable and needed funding for the pillars of growth – such as roads, bridges and other infrastructure that Municipalities require to provide world-class services for the people and businesses of Brantford-Brant”.
OCIF provides funding to eligible communities every year to help them address critical infrastructure needs, including road, bridge, water and wastewater projects.
“Ontario’s small, rural and northern communities, like the County of Brant and the City of Brantford, are essential to the growth and prosperity of the province,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Our government is continuing to provide stable funding to meet local infrastructure needs and provide support in response to pressures from inflation. By supporting key community infrastructure projects, we are helping to grow and build safer, more resilient communities for generations to come.”
“The City is grateful for the ongoing support provided through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF),” said Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis. “The City has a comprehensive capital plan in place to repair and upgrade aging core assets that we all rely on every day, including roads and bridges as well as water and wastewater infrastructure. Specifically, this much needed financial support will be allocated to several key projects including, full corridor reconstruction of St. Paul Avenue, Garden Avenue bridge reconstruction, as well as improvements to roadway systems in the city’s North West Industrial Area. We are thankful to our provincial partners for contributing to these critical improvements that significantly enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
“On behalf of the County of Brant, we are grateful to the Province of Ontario’s Community Infrastructure Fund for the $2,082.824.00 as part of the small, rural and northern communities’ 2023 allocation,” said County of Brant Mayor David Bailey. “The County delivers a number of critical services to the community including the construction and maintenance of roads. In the past, this funding has been used for road reconstruction projects such as Laurel Street in Paris. Keeping our roads safe for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists remains a priority for the community, as is, maintaining reliable infrastructure to connect supply chains and efficiently move goods and services in and out of the area while supporting networks upon which we rely on.”
In December 2021, the Ontario government announced an additional $1 billion for critical infrastructure projects that support economic growth and job creation in small, rural and northern communities, bringing the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion dollars over five years.
QUICK FACTS
- OCIF supports local infrastructure projects by providing stable and predictable funding for rural and northern communities, as well as for communities with populations under 100,000.
- Funding allocations are based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities.
- In 2022, the government provided $400 million in funding through OCIF, an increase of $200 million from the previous year. Communities may accumulate their funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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For more information, contact MPP Will Bouma at 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org