Canada and Manitoba invest $76.6 million in 17 projects to improve municipal transportation infrastructure

THOMPSON, MB, July 26, 2021 /CNW/ - Investments in local infrastructure by the governments of Canada and Manitoba during this unprecedented time will help stimulate the economy and address the needs of all communities, including rural and remote communities, as they recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Investments to improve roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure will create jobs, improve road safety, and ensure long-term sustainable infrastructure while building strong and well-connected communities.

Today, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Rural Economic Development, and the Honourable Reg Helwer, Minister of Central Services, announced more than $76.6 million in joint federal-provincial funding for 17 projects to improve municipal transportation infrastructure in Manitoba.

The funding will go toward various projects such as road renewals and upgrades, bridge replacements, airport runway rehabilitation, and flood prevention infrastructure. In Thompson, $20 million in federal funding and $13.3 million in provincial funding will help renew approximately 20 km of deteriorating road infrastructure. Several other projects will see roads upgraded and resurfaced across the province, including in Portage la Prairie, Nelson House, Koostatak, and Rhineland. A bridge in Virden and the bridge between Emerson-Franklin and Stuartburn will also be replaced.

The Erickson and Russell-Binscarth airports will receive funding to replace or resurface their runways and aprons. Flood prevention infrastructure projects in Springfield and Gilbert Plains will ensure that the communities remain safe and healthy during major flooding events, and will help them adapt to the effects of climate change.

Providing communities with reliable and sustainable infrastructure is a shared priority for both governments. The Government of Canada is investing over $48.9 million in these 17 projects under the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. For projects requiring consultations with Indigenous groups, federal funding is conditional on consultation requirements being met. The Government of Manitoba is also contributing more than $27.7 million to these projects.

Quotes

"Rural and northern communities are an integral part of our country, and they have been impacted by COVID-19 in unprecedented ways. Together with the Province, municipalities, and project funding recipients, we're building back better and providing residents with a safe and upgraded transportation network. Thanks to federal funding of over $48.9 million, the 17 projects we're announcing today will create jobs, improve road safety, and ensure long-term sustainable infrastructure while building strong and well-connected communities. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has committed $827 million for infrastructure projects in rural and northern communities, including roads, water infrastructure, and recreation facilities. To expand access to broadband, we have also invested over $198 million in Manitoba, which will help connect more than 86,000 households to high-speed internet. Through the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada invests in thousands of infrastructure projects in all areas of the country, creating jobs and strengthening communities at a time when it is needed most."

The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister of Rural Economic Development

"We're pleased to support projects that foster economic development by creating jobs and better connecting Manitoba communities. Manitobans depend on transportation infrastructure to help move goods efficiently to market and to get people where they need to go safely and efficiently. Our government will continue to invest in projects that improve the quality of life for residents."

The Honourable Reg Helwer, Minister of Central Services

"We want to thank our provincial and our federal partners for their confidence in the course we've plotted for our city, and for recognizing the important role the north plays in the future of Manitoba and Canada. This announcement has been over three years in the making: the meetings with ministers, the long-term vision of our assets and engineering staff, and the hard decisions Council made in the 2021 budget, were all to prepare for this. Thompson is the Hub of the North: more than 50,000 people from across the region rely on our infrastructure year-round, and this investment lays the groundwork for a sustainable future for both Thompson and northern Manitoba."

Her Worship Colleen Smook, Mayor of Thompson

Quick facts

• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• $2 billion of this funding is supporting infrastructure that meets the unique needs of rural and northern communities, like facilities to support food security, local access roads, and enhanced broadband connectivity.
• In Manitoba, the Government of Canada has invested more than $945 million in over 229 infrastructure projects across the province since 2015 under the Investing in Canada Plan.  

Related product

Backgrounder: Canada and Manitoba invest over $76.6 million in 17 projects to improve municipal transportation infrastructure

Joint federal and provincial funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program will support 17 municipal transportation infrastructure projects in Manitoba. These projects will create jobs, improve road safety, and ensure long-term sustainable infrastructure while building strong and well-connected communities.

The Government of Canada is investing over $48.9 million in these projects through the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Manitoba is funding more than $27.7 million. Project recipients, including municipalities and First Nations, are contributing over $15.4 million in total towards eligible project costs for their respective projects, which overall represent a combined infrastructure investment of $92 million.

Project Information:

*For projects requiring consultations with Indigenous groups, federal funding is conditional on consultation requirements being met.

Associated links

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map

Federal infrastructure investments in Manitoba
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-mb-eng.html

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Rural Opportunity, National Prosperity: An Economic Development Strategy for Rural Canada
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural/strat-eng.html

Government of Manitoba: Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program
www.gov.mb.ca/ICIP

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada