On behalf of the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, the Honourable Ted Menzies, Minister of State (Finance), and the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, today announced a P3 Canada Fund investment of up to $250 million to support the construction of the City of Edmonton’s new Light Rail Transit (LRT). The Ministers were joined at the event by Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel.
This investment will allow the City of Edmonton to enhance its public transit services. The new line and supporting facility will help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, increase transit ridership, deliver direct economic benefits by providing residents with a lower-cost transportation alternative, and create jobs both during and after construction.
“Our Government is proud to support municipal investments in infrastructure projects that harness public and private sector expertise to deliver vital local services, like light rail transit, that promote long-term economic growth,” said Minister Menzies.
“This project means Edmontonians will save money on commuting and have more time to spend with their families rather than in traffic,” said Minister Ambrose. “It also means high-quality jobs for people in Edmonton and throughout the surrounding region.”
“The City of Edmonton welcomes this important funding announcement by the federal government,” said Mayor Stephen Mandel. “The Southeast to West LRT is a key part of our transportation infrastructure. It will connect communities in Mill Woods and southeast Edmonton to the central core and is essential to our plans for building a better, more accessible city.”
Through a competitive bidding process, a private sector proponent will be selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the new light rail transit project over a 30-year period. By entering into a long-term P3 agreement, the City will transfer significant risks over the whole lifecycle of the project to the private sector, allowing the City of Edmonton to realize greater value for taxpayers’ dollars. Edmonton will retain ownership of the infrastructure, will be the fare setter and revenue collector, and will ensure safety and security standards are maintained.
The project includes the construction of the southeast leg of the Southeast to West LRT (Valley Line), running 13.2 kilometres from Mill Woods to downtown Edmonton. The line is an urban style low-floor LRT that will integrate directly into existing communities, with an initial projected daily ridership of 28,000 passengers, increasing to 49,000 by 2044. The project also includes the construction of a signature bridge spanning the North Saskatchewan River, a 350-metre tunnel, and an operations and maintenance facility for the new line.
PPP Canada Inc. was established by the Government of Canada to improve the delivery of public infrastructure by achieving better value, timeliness and accountability to taxpayers, through public-private partnerships. PPP Canada acts as a leading source on P3 matters through knowledge development and sharing. In addition, the Corporation provides expertise and advice in assessing and executing P3 opportunities at the federal level as well as leveraging greater value for money from federal investments in provincial, territorial, municipal and First Nations infrastructure through the P3 Canada Fund.
The P3 Canada Fund is a merit-based program with the objective of supporting P3 infrastructure projects that achieve value for Canadians, develop the Canadian P3 market and generate significant public benefits.
For information, visit PPP Canada and the Government of Canada’s P3 Canada Fund investments.
For information, visit Edmonton’s Southeast to West LRT.
