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McGuinty Government
Investment Benefits the County of Bruce -
Apr 27, 2007
Brockton – Residents of Bruce County will benefit from improved local
infrastructure for the McClure’s Mill bridge replacement through a
$410,000 investment to the County of Bruce. 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 the residents of the Bruce County,” said
Mitchell. “The prosperity and high quality of life in rural communities
depends heavily on transportation so the revitalization of our
infrastructure for important road and bridge projects is vital”.
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 |
