Governments Invest in Infrastructure for More Efficient Transit Service
Brampton, Ontario, December 16, 2013 – TransHelp, the Region of Peel's paratransit service provider, has opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters that will make transit service more efficient for persons with disabilities.
The 45,000 square-foot TransHelp facility includes an administrative office with a communications dispatch centre, a mechanics garage, an indoor parking garage that can store 25 TransHelp buses, two bus wash bays, and a fuelling station.
"Through federal Gas Tax Fund and Infrastructure Stimulus Fund contributions, our Government is proud to help ensure that residents and families in the Region of Peel have safe and efficient accessible public transit services,"
said Parm Gill, Member of Parliament for Brampton—Springdale, 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. "We are delivering on infrastructure programs that help communities from coast to coast to coast, by providing flexible funding that helps them address their biggest priorities, across a range of needs."
"Our government is committed to finding ways to expand transit in Peel and this partnership is a testament to what we can achieve for our residents when we work together,"
said the Honourable Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and MPP for Brampton—Springdale. "We will continue to build modern infrastructure that strengthens communities and helps people in their everyday lives."
"The Regional Municipality of Peel would like to thank the Federal Government for its contribution through Canada's Gas Tax Fund which enabled us to construct our new TransHelp facility,"
said Emil Kolb, Peel Regional Chair and C.E.O. "I also want to thank both the Federal and Provincial Governments for the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund used to make improvements at our Copper Yard property in which TransHelp operates from. The Region is committed to TransHelp; we are investing in resources to continue providing quality accessible transportation services to our customers."
"Canada's Gas Tax Fund delivers for Ontario's municipalities by meeting our pressing need for infrastructure investment,"
said Russ Powers, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "Through our unique federal-municipal partnership, municipalities invest the Fund exactly where it is needed the most which helps to make our communities safer, more efficient and prosperous."
The $17-million TransHelp project comprised the construction of their new headquarters and the rehabilitation of an adjoining Copper Road public works building in 2011. The Region of Peel directed over $9.6 million from its federal Gas Tax Fund allocation towards the headquarters facility and the governments of Canada and Ontario each contributed $425,000 for the 2011 rehabilitation through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The remainder of the cost was supplied by the Region.
The federal Gas Tax Fund 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 Gas Tax Fund a permanent source of funding. The Fund that will grow from its current $2 billion per year to reflect indexing established in Economic Action Plan 2013, which also provided increased flexibility on how the money can be used to address local infrastructure priorities. The Government of Canada provides $746.8 million in annual funding for municipal infrastructure in Ontario. To date, the Government of Canada has made over $222.6 million available to the Region of Peel through the Gas Tax Fund to improve local infrastructure.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering $70 billion for public infrastructure, including a $53 billion New Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 1 million net new jobs created since July 2009. The New Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, will support Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.
These investments support the Ontario government's economic plan to invest in people, build modern infrastructure and support a dynamic and innovative business climate. Since 2003, Ontario has invested approximately $85 billion in infrastructure. Building modern, efficient infrastructure has created or preserved close to 100,000 jobs each year, on average, making Ontario's economy more productive and improving quality of life, now and in the future.
AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario's 444 municipal governments. AMO delivers Canada's Gas Tax Fund to Ontario municipalities, except Toronto, twice a year, on a per capita basis. The Ontario model is unique and has proven to deliver through its transparency and effectiveness. Municipalities rely on the Fund's administration model which provides flexibility and a long-term, predictable and stable allocation to invest in local priority projects.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure and to stay up to date with Web feeds, visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter @INFC_eng.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure.
For more information on the federal Gas Tax Fund at work in Ontario communities, visit Gas Tax at Work or @GasTaxInOntario on Twitter.
Marie-Josée Paquette (Disponible en français)
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
Bryan Bossin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Affairs of Ontario
416-326-3072
Ken Chiu
Communications Specialist
Region of Peel
Ken.Chiu@peelregion.ca
905-791-7800, ext. 4667
Brian Lambie
Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Media Contact
Lambie@redbrick.ca
416-729-5425
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251 or toll-free 1-877-250-7154
