Pickering, Uxbridge to receive more than $2.7 million in provincial infrastructure funding

The Ontario government is providing more than $2.7 million to help build and repair local infrastructure in Pickering and in Uxbridge, part of the government’s plan to build Ontario by getting “shovels in the ground” on critical infrastructure projects that support economic recovery and job creation.

“This is great news for our community,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s Finance Minister and Pickering-Uxbridge MPP. “The investments our communities make in their infrastructure needs … will support economic growth, create local jobs and continue our recovery from COVID-19”.

Pickering will receive just under $2 million in funding, which Mayor Dave Ryan said they will put towards the Whitevale Master Drainage Plan to help mitigate future flooding events.

Uxbridge will get $811,112, which Mayor Dave Barton said will help the Township plan for large multi-year projects.

The announcement is part of the government’s additional $1 billion investment to help build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in small, rural and northern communities. The multi-year funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and will bring the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion over the next five years.

“Our small, rural and northern communities will be at the forefront of our efforts to build Ontario for the future,” said Premier Doug Ford. “With this investment, we are saying ‘yes’ to helping these communities build and repair the vital infrastructure they need to keep their communities working for decades to come.”

Funding allocations will be based on a formula that recognizes the diverse needs and economic conditions of communities across the province. The new formula will include an increased funding minimum of $100,000 for all communities per year, up from $50,000 over previous years.

“Communities are the heartbeat of this province, and we know they are facing unique infrastructure needs and challenges, especially as we navigate through the pandemic,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We’re providing stability and predictability to small, rural and northern communities to repair, upgrade, and modernize their critical infrastructure so that they are safer, healthier, and more reliable for all.”

The Province’s investment in OCIF is part of the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario. The plan lays out how the government will build Ontario’s highways, hospitals, long-term care, housing, and high-speed internet in the future “to ensure all families, workers and businesses in the province have a better and brighter future.”

Ontario’s planned infrastructure investments over the next decade are expected to total more than $148 billion.