The Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board and the Member of Parliament for Provencher, and the Honourable Ron Lemieux, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, today announced that communities across Manitoba will benefit from more than $55.9 million in joint federal-provincial investments for key infrastructure projects worth more than $83.2 million, thanks to a partnership between the governments of Canada and Manitoba. Funding for shovel-ready infrastructure projects is made available under the new Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, our Government is stimulating the economy and creating jobs for Canadians,” said Minister Toews. “We understand the importance of investing in roads, bridges and other infrastructure to ensure Manitoba communities remain competitive and prosperous. We want to continue to work with the Government of Manitoba to deliver solid results for Manitobans.”
“Our government believes that by investing in municipal infrastructure and projects that strengthen our communities we are building a better future for Manitobans,” said Minister Lemieux. “The funding we are announcing today will improve things like our roads, water treatment systems and community centers, but it will also create jobs and help our economy grow.”
The Government of Canada’s funding is being provided under the national $4 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund and is aimed at getting shovels in the ground for infrastructure projects across Canada that can be materially completed by March 2011. Today’s announcement includes 74 new infrastructure projects in Manitoba that will receive $27.3 million from the federal government and $28.7 million from the provincial government under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The remaining $27.2 million will come from municipalities or other sources.
The Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan is accelerating and expanding the existing federal investment of $33 billion in infrastructure with almost $12 billion in new infrastructure stimulus funding over two years.
Today’s announcement continues the important steps the Province of Manitoba is taking to support economic growth by investing $1.6 billion this year, into infrastructure to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and renew the province’s roads, schools, health facilities, and water treatment facilities.
