Federal Government Invests $24.5M in Oakville & Burlington Infrastructure Through the Canada Community-Building Fund

*Please see below a joint news release issued by the Offices of Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff, Oakvile MP Anita Anand, Burlington MP Karina Gould, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton & Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAUGUST 10, 2021OAKVILLE/BURLINGTON, ONTARIO – The health and safety of all Canadians is a top priority 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, MPs Pam Damoff (Oakville North-Burlington), Hon. Anita Anand (Oakville) and Hon. Karina Gould (Burlington) joined local mayors Marianne Meed Ward (Burlington) and Rob Burton (Oakville) in Burlington to announce nearly $12 million in federal infrastructure funding to both municipalities through the Canada Community-Building Fund.Ontario has received over $850 million through the new federal Canada Community-Building Fund for the 2021–22 fiscal year, along with a top-up of more than $816 million. This top-up more than doubles the amount of money that Ontario communities received through the program in 2020-21, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents. Oakville’s 2021-22 fund allocation is $5.8 million, with a $5.6 million top up.  Burlington will receive $6.1 million in original funding with nearly $6 million in top up funds, for a total across both communities of $23.5 million.The Canada Community-Building Fund directly provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories, from public transportation and active bike and walking trails, to local facility upgrades, fire station infrastructure, park and public space upgrades and road, water and sanitary services.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 Canada Community-Building Fund is a critical tool that will help ensure Ontario remains among the best places in the world to live for generations to come.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.

"The federal government understands the importance of helping municipalities invest in critical infrastructure like public transit, clean drinking water and broadband through permanent, stable funding for local infrastructure through the federal government's Canada Community-Building Fund. That is why we are partnering with municipalities like Oakville and Burlington through the Canada Community-Building Fund to build projects and improve infrastructure to ensure equitable, safe and inclusive communities." -- Pam Damoff, Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington"The Canada Community-Building Fund is about providing Burlington, and communities throughout Ontario with stable and flexible funding to invest in critical infrastructure like public transit, cycling and walking paths, and improvements to water and road systems. Our government understands the critical importance of infrastructure development and enabling communities to plan for the current and future needs of their residents. Our government is committed to providing stable and flexible funding to support municipalities and the growing needs of their communities." -- Hon. Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington"Investing in local infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring that municipalities have the resources needed to build back better. The Canada Community-Building Fund will provide essential funding for our community here in Oakville, to guarantee that future generations have reliable infrastructure to meet their needs for years to come." -- Hon. Anita Anand, Member of Parliament for Oakville"It is so important for municipalities to have a program like the Community-Building Fund to provide predictable, stable, allocation-based infrastructure funding. Burlington will be able to use this timely investment toward the replacement of some of our conventional transit fleet, the renewal of Plains Road West, and some minor reconstruction in the Rexway Drive area. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these improvements will have for our community members." -- Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, City of Burlington"The additional top-up funding more than doubles the amount of money Ontario communities received through the program last year. We will be able to carry out infrastructure projects in Oakville that support the well-being of our residents and keep people and goods moving. We appreciate our partnership with the federal government, and I will continue to work with Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff and Oakville MP Anita Anand on behalf of Oakville residents." -- Mayor Rob Burton, Town of Oakville

--RELATED LINKS/BACKGROUND:

• The Federal Gas Tax Fund / (Canada Community-Building Fund)
• The Federal Gas Tax Fund in Ontario
• Federal Infrastructure Investments in Ontario

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist