PETERBOROUGH, Ontario - All Ontario municipalities of less than 250,000 people can now apply to the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) to improve their public infrastructure. The Governments of Canada and Ontario today signed an agreement to each provide up to $298 million over the next five years to improve public infrastructure in small urban and rural municipalities throughout the province. Participating communities will be expected to contribute one third of the cost of any project, bringing the total investment in sustainable infrastructure up to $900 million. The investments will help communities improve water and sewage treatment and waste management, fix local roads and repair bridges, as well as help address other health and safety priorities. Other funding categories include: public transit, municipal energy improvement, cultural, recreational and tourism infrastructure, and connectivity. The agreement provides that the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) will work with the Governments of Canada and Ontario to ensure the program offers maximum benefits to Ontario communities and will continue to promote increased awareness of the program. Up to 1% of the fund will be available to help municipalities improve and increase their capacity to manage their infrastructure assets. This funding could be used, for example, to help communities enhance knowledge of their existing infrastructure assets, better evaluate life-cycle costs associated with the infrastructure they own and operate, better assess the capacity of current infrastructure and identify future needs, better plan and make infrastructure funding decisions, and better train municipal staff in long-term infrastructure management. This is a novel approach to better managing infrastructure that was agreed to during the negotiation of this agreement. “The fund supports infrastructure projects that Ontario communities identify as key priorities. The signing of this agreement marks an important ‘first’ in a series of agreements that the Government of Canada is advancing with each province and territory,” said John Godfrey, Minister of State (Infrastructure and Communities). “Today’s agreement is an integral part of the ‘New Deal for Cities and Communities’ at work here in Ontario building sustainable communities. It shows an advanced partnership model while providing communities with long-term predictable funding.” “This program is great news for building strong and sustainable small towns and rural communities,” said David Caplan, Ontario’s Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. “The funding will help revitalize and restore local infrastructure and provide a quality of life that is second to none.” “This agreement makes it clear that governments can work effectively together to provide Canadians with real benefits. We welcome the participation of AMO in this partnership, to ensure that Ontario's small urban and rural municipalities have a voice in the design and delivery of this program,” said Joe Comuzzi, Minister of State (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario) and federal minister responsible for the implementation of COMRIF. “COMRIF's strong emphasis on 'green' projects will also support federal objectives in areas like water quality, and make a real difference in improving the quality of life for citizens across the province.” “An efficient and modern infrastructure is crucial to building a strong economy in our small and rural communities,” added John Gerretsen, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “By signing this agreement today, we are taking an important step towards achieving a more prosperous economy.” “AMO is working with the Federal and Provincial governments to ensure all Ontario residents benefit from a new deal for Ontario municipalities,” said Roger Anderson, President, Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “The COMRIF infrastructure program recognizes that all Ontarians need and deserve increased investment in the success of their communities.” The signatories to the agreement also launched www.comrif.ca, a website where interested communities will find program information and be able to apply on-line for funding. Communities will also be able to apply with a CD ROM-based application or a paper application. Applications will be processed through a COMRIF Joint Secretariat, which has been established to streamline program delivery. COMRIF is part of the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF), through which the Government of Canada will invest $1 billion in priority infrastructure projects across Canada. The MRIF builds on the success and lessons learned from previous programs, especially the $2.05 billion Infrastructure Canada Program and complements programs such as the $4-billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, which addresses larger infrastructure needs, primarily in urban areas. Ontario’s communities and regions have benefited from many infrastructure projects funded through these programs. COMRIF will advance Ontario’s commitment to building strong communities and a safe, healthy and prosperous province. For more information on the Government of Canada and Ontario’s infrastructure programs, visit www.pir.gov.on.ca. Contacts: Carla Ventin Office of the Minister of State (Infrastructure and Communities) (613) 948-6387 Ross Parry Office of the Minister Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal (416) 325-1657 Scott Turbett Office of the Minister of State (FedNor) (613) 947-5850 Patti Munce Minister’s Office Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (416) 585-6333 Kathleen Guillot Infrastructure Canada (613) 296-6038 Pat Vanini Association of Municipalities of Ontario (416) 971-9856 BACKGROUNDER CANADA-ONTARIO MUNICIPAL RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND The Governments of Canada and Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) are working in partnership to improve and renew public infrastructure across the province through the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF). The Governments of Canada and Ontario are each contributing up to $298 million to COMRIF. With municipal investments, this program is expected to stimulate up to $900 million in capital investments over the next five years. COMRIF targets the infrastructure needs of small urban and rural communities with a population of less than 250,000 people. Objective and Priorities The objective of COMRIF is to ensure citizens in Ontario’s small urban and rural municipalities enjoy a quality of life that’s second to none, through sustainable infrastructure investments which: enhance and renew Ontario’s aging public infrastructure; improve the quality of the environment; protect the health and safety of citizens; support long-term economic growth ; and build strong, sustainable communities by giving municipalities the tools they need. COMRIF focuses on local needs through infrastructure improvements to provide cleaner water, better sewage systems, improved waste management processes, safer local roads and bridges as well as other health and safety priorities. Green infrastructure is COMRIF’s top priority with 55 per cent of funding for projects involving water quality, sustainable communities, climate change, and innovation. Role of AMO AMO has been active in the design of COMRIF to ensure the program meets local priorities and needs. AMO will continue to provide the municipal perspective in the overall management and evaluation of the program, and will disseminate COMRIF information to its membership. Program Eligibility and Application Information Eligible applicants to COMRIF are municipalities with a population of less than 250,000, including Local Services Boards, Local Roads Boards, and non-profit organizations in these communities. To support long-term planning by municipalities, there will be three intakes of applications: November 15, 2004 (application deadline for this first intake is January 10, 2005), Spring 2005 and Spring 2006. All projects will have to be completed by March 31, 2009. Eligible municipalities can submit one application per intake. Applicants will be required to provide a comprehensive business case. Program Delivery Canada and Ontario have created a joint federal-provincial secretariat to review and evaluate applications, and provide a single-window access point for municipal partners. Industry Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing will be responsible for the day-to-day COMRIF delivery on behalf of the Governments of Canada and Ontario. Operating Principles COMRIF takes into consideration the lessons learned from previous federal-provincial partnerships and builds on their successes. For example, representatives from municipal governments have formally joined this partnership and a streamlined joint Canada-Ontario application process has been designed. Investments will be based on a competitive, merit-based process. Only the best projects will be selected within the categories of drinking water, sewage treatment, waste management and local roads and bridges. Consideration will also be given to other municipal infrastructure projects. On the Association of Municipalities of Ontario The AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 445 municipal governments. AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system. For more information on AMO, visit www.amo.on.ca. For More Information For more information on COMRIF, visit www.comrif.ca or call 1-866-306-7827.
