Sydenham, Ontario, September 28, 2012 – Residents of the Township of South Frontenac are now benefitting from new and improved municipal infrastructure thanks to Government of Canada funding. The modern facilities will help protect the local environment, increase the Township's ability to recycle and reduce the Township's operating expenses.
"I'm proud that our government is directly supporting the priorities of the Township of South Frontenac,"
said Scott Reid, Member of Parliament for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington. "The Gas Tax Fund provides municipalities like South Frontenac with stable, predictable funding that they can use for local priorities that benefit families, residents and workers in the community."
"The Township is pleased to be able to take proactive steps towards protecting the environment,"
said South Frontenac Mayor Gary Davison. "These projects are just part of our long term approach to making things better for the residents of South Frontenac now and into the future."
The projects included the modernization of operations at the Keeley Road and Portland Road patrol yards, allowing the storage and delivery of road salt to take place inside the facilities. As well, new equipment allows the Township to incorporate sand within the salt. Both these initiatives are helping protect the environment by reducing the amount of salt that can enter the local water table.
The Keeley Road municipal site is now also home to a permanent depot for hazardous waste materials, ensuring that they will be disposed of locally in an environmentally responsible manner. The site is now also equipped to receive hay bale wrap and boat wrap, significantly reducing the amount of plastic destined for the local landfill.
The total cost for the projects was $1,950,252, and was entirely funded through the Township's federal Gas Tax Fund allocation.
"Canada's Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in our municipalities,"
said Russ Powers, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "Stable and predictable, the Gas Tax Fund is supporting long-term investment in local priority projects right across Ontario."
The Gas Tax Fund provides long-term funding to local governments to help them build and revitalize public infrastructure. In December 2011, the Government of Canada passed legislation to make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion per year. The Government of Canada, through the Gas Tax Fund alone, provides $746 million in funding annually for municipal infrastructure in Ontario. Between 2010 and 2014, the Township of South Frontenac will receive approximately $2,236,453 from the Gas Tax Fund.
The Government of Canada has engaged provinces, territories, municipalities and key stakeholders in a series of roundtables to guide the development of a new long-term infrastructure plan that will support job creation, economic growth and prosperity. We have heard that we are on the right track: there is a need for strong, sustained investment and we must continue to work together moving forward. To improve infrastructure across Canada and leverage new investment, our new long-term plan will encourage greater use of public-private partnerships, while respecting the capacity of Canadian taxpayers.
For further information on the Government of Canada's infrastructure investments in Ontario and to stay up-to-date with Infrastructure Canada Web feeds, visit www.infrastucture.gc.ca.
For additional information, please contact:
Geneviève Sicard
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Mark Segsworth, Public Works Manager
Township of South Frontenac
613-376-3027
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
