Today, the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced that Saskatchewan has received $65,415,534 through the new Canada Community-Building Fund for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and will receive a top-up of $62,571,380. This top-up doubles the amount of money that Saskatchewan received through the program in 2020-21, enabling municipalities to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents.
The Canada Community-Building Fund, previously known as the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) program, provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories. For example, in the Rural Municipality of Excel No. 71, funding was used to expand and upgrade the Ormiston Community Hall kitchen which accommodates many local events. The City of Melfort has improved accessibility of local roads by replacing sidewalks and installing multiple accessibility ramps. In the Northern Village of Green Lake, a solar panel system will be installed adjacent to the water treatment plant to lower costs of water plant operations.
As of June 29, 2021, the Gas Tax Fund has been renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF). 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 Saskatchewan remains among the best places in the world to live for generations to come.
Quotes
"The federal government understands the importance of helping municipalities invest in critical infrastructure like public transit, clean drinking water and broadband. The doubling of the Canada Community-Building Fund will make significant investments in projects across province that create good jobs and allow municipalities to advance their local infrastructure priorities."
The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies
"Municipalities across Saskatchewan will continue to benefit from the new Canada Community-Building Fund, which will support important local projects that improve the lives of citizens. The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to administer this program and its funding in our province."
The Honourable Don McMorris, Saskatchewan's Minister of Government Relations
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 roads. 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.
