Our communities can only grow to support more housing when there are investments in foundational infrastructure projects - like public transit, water systems, and local roads and bridges. With today's announcement, the first through the new Build Communities Strong Fund, that is exactly what the Government of Canada is delivering on.
Today, the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, Jennifer McKelvie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor of the City of Toronto, and Michael Atlas, General Counsel of the Toronto Transit Commission, announced a federal investment of over $183 million to the City of Toronto for the 2025-26 fiscal year through what will be the Community stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.
Through the allocation announced today, the Government of Canada is helping to improve transit and make it more accessible through projects like the Toronto Transit Commission's Easier Access Program which will upgrade subway stations with elevators, accessible doors, updated signage, and wayfinding.
In the coming weeks, more details will be launched on the Build Communities Strong Fund, which comprises of three major streams:
- A Provincial and Territorial stream that will provide $17.2 billion over 10 years to support infrastructure projects and priorities. This includes housing-enabling, health-related infrastructure, and infrastructure at colleges and universities.
- From this stream, $5 billion over three years will be dedicated specifically to health infrastructure funding, upgrading health infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency rooms, and urgent care centres.
- A Direct Delivery stream that will provide $6 billion to support regionally significant projects, climate adaptation, and community infrastructure. This could include clean-energy generation and storage projects, flood protection, and new community and recreational spaces.
- A Community stream that will provide $27.8 billion for local roads, bridges, water systems, and community centres - getting the basics right and helping towns and cities grow - which will be the existing Canada Community-Building Fund moving under this newly launched fund to help streamline the government's infrastructure efforts.
Together, we will build Canada strong by strengthening the infrastructure, housing, and public transit that Canadians rely on every day.
