By Cecilia Nasmith
Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini announces the Government of Ontario's $5.9-million investment in his riding through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.
Available to rural and northern communities, as well as those with a population of fewer than 100,000, this fund supports municipalities as they build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.
“By providing municipalities with the stable, ongoing and flexible funding they need to address local priorities, we are helping strengthen our communities,” Piccini stated in the announcement.
“More importantly, these projects will lay the foundation for a strong economic recovery as it will create jobs, stimulate economic growth, attract investment, and make our community a better place to live and grow.”
Northumberland County's share of the fund is $3.8-million. There is a grant for each of its seven municipalities as well as one for the county itself - $92,771 for the Township of Cramahe, $308,268 for the Township of Hamilton, $335,356 for the Township of Alnwick-Haldimand, $372,906 for the Municipality of Brighton, $638,141 for the Town of Cobourg, $639,996 for the Municipality of Trent Hills, $717,981 for the Municipality of Port Hope and $751,217 for the County of Northumberland.
County Warden Bob Crate expressed his appreciation for the grant.
“The stable, flexible funding available through OCIF is vital to the long-term health and sustainable growth of the small and rural communities of Northumberland County,” Crate stated.
The $5.9-million invested in Northumberland-Peterborough South is part of some $200-million Ontario has committed to 424 communities to help them address their core infrastructure projects and asset management planning needs in 2021.
Ontario also provides funding to communities through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, a $30-billion 10-year infrastructure program cost-shared among Federal, provincial and municipal governments. Ontario's share is 33.33% per project, or $10.2-billion spread across four streams – rural and northern communities, public transit, green initiatives, and community, culture and recreation.
