July 11, 2008

Building Canada funds flow in New Brunswick

Province will get $66 million for infrastructure from Communities Component

FREDERICTON

Through the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund, the federal and New Brunswick governments together will invest $66 million between now and 2014, which will help meet the local infrastructure needs and priorities of New Brunswick villages and towns.

With matching contributions from communities, the total funding under the Communities Component could increase to $99 million over the life of the program.

The Communities Component provides funding towards several categories of infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, solid waste management, public transit, green energy, and capacity building.

Municipalities will be able to submit their applications for the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund as of July 10. The deadline for this first intake of applications is October 10, 2008. The focus of this first intake will be water, wastewater infrastructure and capacity building. Projects will be selected by a federal-provincial committee through a competitive process.

On Dec. 7, 2007, the governments of Canada and New Brunswick signed a Framework Agreement under the Building Canada plan, worth $541.62 million over seven years. As part of this agreement, the federal government dedicated $61.49 million for infrastructure projects in New Brunswick under the Building Canada Fund, in addition to the $126 million that had already been committed for the Saint John Harbour clean up and improvements to provincial highways. Of the $61.49 million, $33 million was dedicated to the Communities Component of the Fund, which focuses on infrastructure in communities of less than 100,000 residents. The remainder of the Building Canada Fund will be dedicated to major public infrastructure projects across the province.

DCN News Services

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