Brock, Clarington, Pickering, Scugog and Uxbridge receive boost in critical infrastructure funding from Ontario

Some Durham municipalities are set to receive large boost, more than double in some cases, of money for critical infrastructure from a newly announced billion dollar investment in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF).

The program comes as part of the Ford government’s Building Ontario with Investments in Critical Infrastructure for Small, Rural and Northern Communities plan, announced yesterday.

The plan will see $1 billion poured into smaller communities to assist in building roads, bridges and water and sewer infrastructure in rural communities over the next five years.

This funding top-up will double the current budget for the OCIF, which already stands at a billion. Each community will be allocated a specific amount of at least $100,000 per year based on a formula to accommodate the “different needs and economic conditions” of each community. The municipalities will also be able to save the funds for five years to spend on large projects.

Compared to 2020, Brock Township will see an increase in funding to $809,855 from $411,545, Clarington will get $3,866,848 up from $1,882,464, Pickering 1,945,739 over $880,357, Scugog will jump from $375,689 to $754,136 and Uxbridge will receive $811,112 over $405,588.

All Ontario communities under 100,000 in population qualify for OCIF funding. All together, 424 communities received $200 million from the fund in 2021.

“By nearly doubling our investment in the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, our government is supporting public safety, job creation and economic growth,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and MPP of Pickering-Uxbridge.

“This investment will provide additional certainty for our small and rural communities so that they can address local infrastructure projects,” added Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, whose riding includes the eastern parts of Durham.