Canada’s Gas Tax Fund supports local infrastructure priorities throughout Quebec
Roberval, Quebec - 25 June 2014
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the renewal of the Gas Tax Fund Administrative Agreement with Quebec, which will provide predictable, stable funding to support public infrastructure across Quebec. He was joined by Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, as well as Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard, where they took part in their first joint event.
The Gas Tax Fund Administrative Agreement with Quebec sets out the amount of funding to be transferred from the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) to the Government of Quebec, how the Government of Quebec intends to disburse the funding to municipalities and the reporting requirements.
The Agreement provides Quebec municipalities with support to undertake priority public infrastructure projects, which create jobs, economic growth and contribute to the quality of life for families in communities across the province.
The GTF provides municipalities with the flexibility to choose and plan infrastructure projects based on their specific priorities. The renewed agreements will govern the flow of federal funds to each province and territory over the next 10 years from 2014-15 until 2023-24.
Under the renewed GTF, eligible categories have also been expanded, providing municipalities with more flexibility than ever before to support local infrastructure.
Announced as part of Economic Action Plan 2013, the renewed GTF is the result of consultations with mayors and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
- The renewed Gas Tax Fund Administrative Agreement with Quebec replaces the Canada-Quebec Gas Tax Fund Agreement, which covered the period between 2010 and 2014.
- No federal Government has ever made as strong a commitment to supporting infrastructure.
- To date, over 3,600 municipalities have benefited from the financial support and flexibility the GTF offers. Since its inception, over 15,000 projects across Canada have received funding.
- For example, the GTF supported the following projects inQuebec:
- Water and wastewater mains replacement over a distance of more than a kilometre on Route 230 in La Pocatière;
- Significant transit service improvements between QuébecCity’s eastern and western districts;
- Water infrastructure work on Marcotte Boulevard in Roberval; and,
- Drinking water treatment and storage facilities upgrades in the Parish of Saint-Damase.
Eligible investment categories under the GTF include: public transit; wastewater infrastructure; drinking water; solid waste management; community energy systems; local roads and bridges; capacity building; highways; local and regional airports; short-line rail; short-sea shipping; disaster mitigation; broadband and connectivity; brownfield redevelopment; culture; tourism; sport; and recreation.
