Today, the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, on behalf of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, announced New Brunswick has received a top-up payment of over $45 million in addition to its 2021-22 fiscal year allocation of more than $47 million through the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF). This top-up doubles the amount of money that New Brunswick communities received through the program in 2020-21, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents.
The CCBF provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories. For example, funding has helped the Town of Beresford improve its arena to support a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of all ages. Thanks to federal funding, the City of Fredericton has been able to continue its efforts to replace aging underground water and sewer infrastructure to provide residents with safer and more reliable services.
As of June 29, 2021, what was once known as the Gas Tax Fund has been renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund. This name change better reflects the program's evolution over time and will not alter or modify the objectives or requirements of the program.
Fire halls and fire station infrastructure have been added as an investment category for the program. This addition will contribute to the program's objective of building stronger and more resilient communities.
By enabling communities to plan for their current and future needs, and build or improve the infrastructure that will help them thrive through any circumstance, the CCBF is a critical tool that will help ensure New Brunswick remains among the best places in the world to live for generations to come.
Quotes
"We understand the importance of helping municipalities invest in critical infrastructure like public transit, clean drinking water and broadband. That is why we are partnering with New Brunswick through the Canada Community-Building Fund to build projects across the province that create good jobs, tackle climate and build more inclusive communities for New Brunswickers."
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental
"We know how important this funding is to communities, large and small, in our province. These projects will improve the quality of life for New Brunswickers by making their communities more resilient and ensuring their service offerings are maintained and improved. We're pleased to partner with the federal government through the Canada Community-Building Fund to ensure our residents can thrive and grow along with their communities."
The Honourable Daniel Allain, Minister of Local Government and Local Governance Reform
Quick facts
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The Canada Community-Building Fund is a long-term, indexed source of funding for over 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years it has supported thousands of projects annually.
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The CCBF has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and broadband. Communities can 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.
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The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities announced the intention to provide a 2020-2021 top-up payment to communities via a letter to her provincial and territorial counterparts on March 30, 2021, noting that the payment was contingent on the passing of enabling legislation.
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The top-up received parliamentary approval when the Budget Implementation Act received Royal Assent on June 29, 2021.
