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McGuinty Government
Investment Benefits the Municipality of Huron East -
Apr 23, 2007
Vanastra – Residents of the town of Vanastra will benefit from
improved local infrastructure through a $633,500 investment to the
Municipality of Huron East for the Vanastra sanitary wastewater
retention project. This investment was part of the McGuinty government’s
$140 million Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative, as part of its
ongoing commitment to build and sustain the economies of Ontario’s small
and rural communities, announced Carol Mitchell MPP for Huron Bruce
today. This is part of the 2007 Budget, where the
government addressed the infrastructure needs in small and rural
municipalities by allocating an additional $70 million to provide safe
and reliable local infrastructure in Ontario communities.
“This is great news for Vanastra and the Municipality of Huron East,”
said Mitchell. “The prosperity and high quality of life in rural
communities depends heavily on the revitalization of our infrastructure
such as dependable water and wastewater systems and better solid waste
processes”. The Rural Infrastructure Investment
Initiative is a one-time, application-based program. Funding was
allocated through a competitive process, with applications evaluated
against a set of criteria established to ensure projects meet provincial
priorities and have a positive economic impact on the local community.
The program builds on other significant government undertakings designed
to sustain and stimulate Ontario’s small and rural municipal economies,
including the government’s ReNew Ontario initiative, a strategic
five-year infrastructure plan to invest more than $30 billion in the
repair, revitalization and expansion of Ontario’s public infrastructure
by 2010.
Other government initiatives that demonstrate the
McGuinty government is on the side of families in rural and small
communities in Ontario include:
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Continuing to be there for farmers when they need
support. The Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs
expenditures for farm income stabilization and support were more
that $1 billion over the 2003-04 to 2006-07 fiscal years.
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Investing $10 million to help expand broadband
coverage to the most ready rural and remote communities in southern
Ontario. Through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation the
government will also work to expand broadband and cellular services
to connect most of northern Ontario within three years.
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Investing in rural communities through the Rural
Economic Development (RED) Program. Since October 2003, 94 projects
have been approved with a total provincial commitment of over $28
million.
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Providing $400 million in 2006 through Move
Ontario for communities primarily outside the Greater Toronto Area
for upgrades to local roads and bridges
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Investing, together with the federal government
and municipalities, almost $900 million through the Canada Ontario
Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF).
“This initiative reflects our government’s commitment
to strengthen small and rural communities,” said David Caplan, Minister
of Public Infrastructure Renewal. “The government is on the side of
families in small and rural communities. That’s why we’re providing
resources and opportunities such as this to address key infrastructure
needs and ensure safe, sustainable and strong communities.”
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Contact:
Carol Mitchell, MPP Huron-Bruce
519-482-5630 |
