Second installment of annual GTF transfer available for municipal infrastructure
Regina, Saskatchewan, November 14, 2013 – Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Regional Minister for Saskatchewan, announced today that the Government of Canada is making available the second installment of its annual $2-billion federal Gas Tax Fund allocation for municipal infrastructure, bringing Saskatchewan's total allocation this year to close to $56.1 million.
"These ongoing investments through the federal Gas Tax Fund transfer are helping Saskatchewan's communities address their local infrastructure priorities,"
said Minister Ritz. "Our Government is proud to continue to support infrastructure projects that create jobs, promote productivity and support economic growth."
Canada's Gas Tax Fund provides predictable, long-term funding for Canadian municipalities to help them build and revitalize their local infrastructure while creating jobs and long-term prosperity. Funding is provided up front, twice a year to the Government of Saskatchewan which delivers this funding within Saskatchewan. Projects are chosen locally and prioritized according to the infrastructure needs of each community. Municipalities can pool, bank and borrow against this funding, providing significant financial flexibility. To date, close to $371.9 million has been made available to Saskatchewan under the current Gas Tax Fund.
The Gas Tax Fund has funded numerous initiatives across Saskatchewan that support water and wastewater infrastructure, local roads, public transit, solid waste, community energy systems, active transportation and capacity building.
The Government of Canada has extended, doubled, indexed and made permanent the Gas Tax Fund. These improvements will see Canada's Gas Tax Fund grow from its current $2 billion per year while providing provinces and municipalities with predictable funding to deliver on local infrastructure priorities.
To read more about the Gas Tax Fund in Saskatchewan, visit Infrastructure Spotlight: The Federal Gas Tax Fund.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure, visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter@INFC_eng.
For further information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit Canada's Economic Action Plan.
Contacts:
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
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Backgrounder
The Gas Tax Fund in Saskatchewan
The federal Gas Tax Fund makes capital investments in important community infrastructure. Eligible investments currently include water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure, public transit, community energy systems, local roads and bridges, and capacity building. It provides predictable, stable funding, allowing municipalities to choose and plan the infrastructure priorities in their community.
Through the Gas Tax Fund, municipalities across Saskatchewan have benefited from close to $371.9 million in predictable and flexible funding for local priorities since the program began. The Government of Saskatchewan administers the program on behalf of its municipalities.
Results for Saskatchewan
The Gas Tax Fund is providing Saskatchewanians with stable funding that will have a tangible impact on their quality of life and the long-term sustainability of their communities. The Gas Tax Fund has provided funding towards various projects, including:
- The installation of an ultraviolet light disinfection system in Prince Albert's water treatment plant, providing 40,000 residents with a safer, cleaner water supply, and reducing long-term operating costs.
- A new recycling facility for the rural Municipality of Ituna Bon Accord and the neighbouring Village of Lestock, who pooled their funds to reduce the volume of solid waste being directed to the local dump by providing residents and businesses with additional disposal options.
- The replacement of water mains and a lift station in Melfort, improving the safety and reliability of its water distribution system.
How the Gas Tax Fund Works
Canada's Gas Tax Fund has provided $13 billion to Canadian communities to date. The funding allocation is based on population for most jurisdictions. In recognition of their population size, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut receive amounts equal to 0.75 per cent of the total annual national allocation, allowing them to also make meaningful investments in infrastructure. Funding is provided up front, twice a year to provincial and territorial governments or to the municipal associations which deliver this funding within a province, as well as to the City of Toronto. Projects are chosen locally and prioritized according to the infrastructure needs of each community. Municipalities can pool, bank and borrow against this funding, providing significant financial flexibility.
On April 1, 2009, Gas Tax Fund payments doubled to $2 billion annually. In 2011, legislation was passed to make funding under the Gas Tax Fund permanent at $2 billion per year.
As announced in Economic Action Plan 2013, the eligible categories for the Gas Tax Fund will be expanded and the Fund will be indexed at 2 per cent a year in $100-million increments, starting in 2014, allowing municipalities even more flexibility to focus on their infrastructure priorities. The expanded categories include:
- projects supporting culture, tourism, sport and recreation;
- disaster mitigation;
- broadband communication systems;
- highways;
- short-line rail;
- short-sea shipping;
- brownfield redevelopment; and
- local and regional airports.
Over the 10-year life of the New Building Canada Plan from 2014 to 2024, the Gas Tax Fund will provide close to $22 billion in funding for municipalities.
The Government of Canada is working with its provincial and territorial partners to ensure a seamless transition to the new funding.
