Regina, Saskatchewan, August 23, 2019 - Modern public infrastructure is key to promoting economic growth, strengthening the middle class and developing healthy, sustainable communities. That is why the Government of Canada is renewing its commitment to communities through the federal Gas Tax Fund and delivering much needed support for their local priorities.
Saskatchewan has received the first of two $31.2 million installments of the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) for the 2019-20 fiscal year, along with a top-up of $61.9 million, made available through Budget 2019. This top-up doubles the amount of money for Saskatchewan communities, based on their allocations for 2018-19, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents.
The federal GTF is a long-term, indexed source of funding that supports a diverse range of local infrastructure projects across the province each year. For example, the Village of Bracken is using their GTF funding to develop an asset management plan to assist council in making sound decisions about how to prioritize future infrastructure spending. Meanwhile, residents in the Town of Wynyard will be benefitting from a new arena sport complex that encourages the community to remain active in a variety of sports activities. And the City of Saskatoon is rehabilitating the Sid Buckwold Bridge and ramp structure to ensure the bridge remains safe, serviceable and structurally sound.
This predictable funding, enhanced by a doubling of the 2018-19 GTF allocations, as announced in Budget 2019, is allowing communities to plan for current and future infrastructure priorities, so they can build the resilient infrastructure of the 21st century that residents deserve, and help ensure that Saskatchewan remains among the best places in the world to live.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is proud to deliver this stable, predictable long-term funding that communities rely on to develop their public infrastructure. By working with other orders of government, we are making significant progress and delivering concrete results for all Canadians. From improving roads, water services and energy efficiency, to enhancing recreation and tourism centres, the federal Gas Tax Fund is helping keep families safe, promote economic development and improve people's quality of life across the country."
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"The federal Gas Tax Fund provides Saskatchewan municipalities the opportunity to advance local infrastructure projects that best meet the needs of their citizens. The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to play a role in this program. By administering this federal funding, we help make our communities even better places to live, work and play."
The Honourable Lori Carr, Saskatchewan Minister of Government Relations
Quick facts
-
The federal Gas Tax Fund delivers over $2 billion every year to over 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years the funding has supported approximately 4,000 projects each year.
-
To help address the short-term infrastructure priorities of communities, Budget 2019 includes a top-up of $2.2 billion to the federal Gas Tax Fund.
-
The federal Gas Tax Fund is flexible in allowing communities to apply funding to their most pressing local needs. Communities can invest across 18 different project categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and roads. They can also use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
-
Through its Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
-
The plan includes more than $92 billion for funding such as the Gas Tax Fund and more than $95 billion in new funding for infrastructure programs.
-
To date, more than 48,000 projects have been approved under the plan and the majority of these projects are either underway, or already completed.
