County gains $1.1M in provincial infrastructure funding

Prince Edward County will receive $1,147,499 of $8.5 million going to Bay of Quinte municipalities to address infrastructure needs.

Bay of Quinte MP Todd Smith made the announcement of Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) funding Monday. The funds are to be used for roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.

“This funding addresses our government’s commitment to support our local municipalities in making the Bay of Quinte area the best place to live and grow. We know that projects to create and renew local infrastructure will create jobs and serve to attract economic growth and investment,” said Smith.

Recognizing that municipalities have different infrastructure needs, the province uses a formula that examines various social and economic factors to determine allocations across the province.

Belleville receives $3,232,839; Hastings, $50,000; Quinte West $4,157,747.

The funding is part of Ontario’s approximately $200 million committed to 424 communities to help address core infrastructure projects and asset management planning needs in 2021.

The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund is considered stable and predictable funding for communities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern communities.
Municipalities may accumulate their OCIF funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.

Ontario also provides funding to communities through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), a $30-billion, 10-year program cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33.33 per cent, or $10.2 billion spread across four streams: Rural and Northern, Public Transit, Green, and Community, Culture and Recreation.