Project made possible thanks to federal-provincial-municipal partnership
Redwater, Alberta, October 11, 2013 – Residents, business owners and government officials gathered on 49th Avenue today to celebrate the completion of important storm water and road work. The project addressed ongoing drainage issues along 49th Avenue, as well as rebuilt, resurfaced and beautified the roadway and sidewalks.
"We are proud to support significant infrastructure projects that help create jobs and build strong, prosperous communities across Canada,"
declared the Member of Parliament for Westlock—St. Paul, Brian Storseth, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. "Investing in infrastructure is just one of the ways we are working to create jobs and support our community."
"Well-maintained infrastructure plays a key role in supporting the strength and prosperity of Alberta's communities,"
declared the Honourable Doug Griffiths, Minister of Municipal Affairs for Alberta. "That's why this government is committed to projects like this one, and continuing to build Alberta through programs like the Municipal Sustainability Initiative."
"Something like this would never be possible without all three levels of Government working together,"
declared the Mayor of Redwater, Mel Smith. "The Town of Redwater would like to take this opportunity to thank our Federal and Provincial partners for their support."
This project consisted of installing new storm sewer lines and a drainage ditch along 49th Avenue between 49th Street and 52nd Street. It also involved rebuilding and repaving the road and replacing the sidewalks. In addition to planting trees and shrubs, benches, garbage receptacles and communication boards were installed.
The Government of Canada provided $699,168 for this project through the Gas Tax Fund transfer. The Government of Alberta provided $1,196,487 from their Municipal Sustainability Initiative and $790,456 in funding from its Municipal Infrastructure Program. The Town of Redwater provided the balance of funding for total project costs of $3,577,177.
Since 2007, Alberta's Municipal Sustainability Initiative has provided approximately $4.8 billion to municipalities for more than 8,000 projects identified by municipalities as their local priorities. The Government of Alberta is committed to providing $11.3 billion over the term of the program to municipalities to enhance community sustainability, address local infrastructure needs and enable them to meet the demands of growth.
The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) transfer provides long-term funding to municipalities across the country to build and revitalize their local infrastructure. The Government of Canada has now made the GTF a permanent transfer and has proposed improvements that will see the GTF grow from its current $2 billion per year while providing increased flexibility on how the money can be used to fund local infrastructure priorities. Discussions are underway with provinces and territories to renew the GTF agreements so that these improvements can be implemented as soon as possible. In Alberta, the program currently provides over $199.5 million of predictable, long-term funding annually to help municipalities build and revitalize public infrastructure.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter at @INFC_eng.
For further information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit Canada's Economic Action Plan.
Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Magharita Reghelini-Griffiths
Public Affairs Officer
Communications Branch
Alberta Municipal Affairs
780-427-8862
Kylie Ostafichuk
Executive Assistant
Town of Redwater
780-999-5623
kostafichuk@redwater.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251 or
Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
