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$3M infrastructure grants for Orangeville, Shelburne

February 25, 2015   ·   0 Comments

More than $3 million in grants to improve water and sewer infrastructure in Orangeville and Shelburne were announced Wednesday by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

The grants – nearly $1.9 million to Orangeville and almost $1.3 million to Shelburne – were among 78 being made to small, rural and northern municipalities to build and repair critical infrastructure and create jobs across the province.

The 78 projects were approved through the application-based component of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) which will help communities maintain, repair, expand or update vital infrastructure such as bridges, roadways, water mains and sewage treatment systems.

The ministry said in a news release that supporting small, rural and northern communities is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. “The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, revitalizing public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, supportive environment where business thrives and building a secure savings plan so everyone can afford to retire.”

The Town of Orangeville will receive up to $1,898,706 for watermain and sanitary sewer system replacement, and restoration of affected roads.

Shelburne will receive up to $1,282,177 to upgrade water mains and sanitary sewers. The project will ensure sufficient water for fire protection and looping.

“Roads, bridges and water infrastructure are essential to rural communities across the province,” said Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “By partnering with communities and investing in these projects, our government is committed to ensuring municipalities have the tools they need to build and maintain critical infrastructure.”

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, said investing in essential infrastructure projects “not only increases the quality of life in communities across Ontario, but also creates jobs and generates significant economic growth in areas that need it most.

“I’m pleased that we are moving forward with our plan to support small, rural and northern communities, and we will continue partnering with municipalities across Ontario to make unprecedented infrastructure investments.”

The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) provides $100 million per year in funding for critical road, bridge, water and wastewater projects, while $50 million is available per year in fair and transparent formula-based funding and another $50 million per year in application- based funding.

OCIF is part of Moving Ontario Forward, the government’s plan to invest in public infrastructure. The province is promising an unprecedented $130 billion investment in public infrastructure over the next 10 years, and says this will support more than 110,000 jobs on average each year in construction and related industries.

To be eligible for the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, municipalities must have a population of less than 100,000 as of the 2011 census or be located in northern or rural Ontario.

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