Taking decisive action to help families, businesses and communities is vital to the well-being of the province - and today's announcement is a key part of this support.
Today, the Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for St. John's South-Mount Pearl, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development; and the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, announced $50 million in joint funding to improve public infrastructure for residents across Newfoundland and Labrador.
Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador; Churence Rogers, Member of Parliament for Bonavista-Burin-Trinity; and Ken McDonald, Member of Parliament for Avalon, were also in attendance.
Projects that received funding include a new armourstone wall that will restore the shoreline on Harbour Road in Witless Bay to protect the roadway, and a coolant system for the arena ice plant that will be replaced at the Bay D'Espoir Rec Plex, creating a more sustainable, reliable, and safe facility for the community.
In addition, 12 municipalities will see improvements to their drinking water systems. These upgrades include the rehabilitation and expansion of water supply mains and connections, new hydrants for improved fire safety, a new pump house building in the Town of Jackson's Cove-Langdon's Cove-Silverdale, and a new chlorination system in the Town of La Scie.
In Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the HVAC system upgrades at the College of the North Atlantic campus will offer a comfortable and clean environment for staff and students. Furthermore, funding for a Trans-Labrador Highway hard surfacing project near Happy Valley-Goose Bay will make the roadway safer for travelers. The paving work, which has already begun, will continue this summer and is two construction seasons away from completion.
Together, these investments will support 26 projects that will ensure residents continue to benefit from safe and reliable public infrastructure services for years to come.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $25 million in these projects through various funds of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is providing over $25 million, while municipalities and communities are contributing more than $2 million in total.
Quotes
"These 26 local projects will build up public infrastructure across our Province, from improved drinking water systems to safer roadways. People in this Province will benefit from improved modern and reliable infrastructure for years to come."
The Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for St. John's South-Mount Pearl
"We know that making strategic, informed, and smart investments are critical to growing our local economies across the country as we begin our recovery from the pandemic. The $25 million in federal support announced today will directly support the people in our rural communities across Newfoundland and Labrador by improving the critical infrastructure we use each and every day. Our government will continue to support projects like this across our province and around the country, because we know that when our small communities thrive - we all do."
Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains
"These investments improve roads in rural communities, ensure infrastructure and services can continue to operate without disruption, and create employment for tradespeople in their hometowns. We have worked with communities who identified their needs, and we have partnered with the Federal Government to ensure these concerns can be addressed. Today's funding announcement shows what can happen when three levels of government work together and we look forward to more collaboration in the future."
The Honourable Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
"An investment in infrastructure is an investment in our communities. By working with our federal colleagues, we are ensuring alterations and improvements are made to public buildings and infrastructure so that they can continue to operate without disruptions. All of this funding leads to employment in these communities and helps us reach our goal to finish the Trans-Labrador Highway. We look forward to seeing the highway completed next year."
The Honourable Elvis Loveless, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
"Through federal-provincial cooperation, communities and residents in Labrador are benefitting from investments in infrastructure projects. We look forward to the paving work that will complete the section of highway between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and the Cartwright junction."
The Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs
Quick facts
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Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada 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.
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To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID-19 Resilience Stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
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Under the COVID-19 Resilience Stream, the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects is 80 per cent in the provinces, and 100 per cent in the territories and for projects intended for Indigenous communities.
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The Government of Canada has invested more than $539 million towards over 738 infrastructure projects across Newfoundland under the Investing in Canada plan.
