The construction of the City Centre Park Sportsplex in Langford, British Columbia highlights the Harper Government’s continued support of new sports and recreation facilities for communities throughout the country. Featuring an ice rink and a ten-pin bowling alley, the new 63,000 square foot facility will cater to the needs of minor hockey leagues and provide a place where locals can enjoy a healthy lifestyle. The project will also create jobs, stimulate the regional economy and enhance Langford’s reputation as a tourism and recreational destination.
This investment – valued at $4,464,547, over two years – is made possible through Canada’s Economic Action Plan and the Building Canada Fund-Communities Component, under which projects are cost-shared on a one-third basis among federal, provincial and municipal governments. Once combined with the contributions of the Province of British Columbia and the City of Langford, the total value of this Economic Action Plan infrastructure project exceeds $13.3 million.
Recognizing that smaller communities have unique infrastructure needs, the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund supports projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents. Projects that address local infrastructure needs, such as safe drinking water, disaster mitigation, and roads and bridges are eligible for funding through the program.
Under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the Harper Government has expanded upon the $1 billion Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund by providing an additional $500 million through the Communities Component Top-Up. Thanks to these investments, nearly 1,400 infrastructure projects across the country, including more than 130 in British Columbia have been funded.
In December 2010, the completion deadline for Economic Action Plan projects under the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component Top Up was extended by one full construction season, to October 31, 2011. The City Centre Park Sportsplex is expected to be completed by May 31, 2011.
Since July 2009, Canada’s Economic Action Plan has contributed to the creation of more than 460,000 new jobs and helped the country emerge from the global economic crisis faster and stronger than most other major industrial countries around the world.
For more information on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit http://www.actionplan.gc.ca
