September 26, 2014 – Whistler, British Columbia – Infrastructure Canada
The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry, spoke today at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) 2014 Convention in Whistler regarding the New Building Canada Plan, the renewed federal Gas Tax Fund Agreement with British Columbia and what they mean for municipalities across the province.
The New Building Canada Plan is the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada's history. This unprecedented commitment will provide $53 billion over the next decade to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure that enhances economic growth, job creation and productivity.
As part of the New Building Canada Plan, the renewed federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) provides predictable, long-term, stable funding for Canadian municipalities to help them build and revitalize their local public infrastructure while creating jobs and long term prosperity.
Since 2006, significant improvements have been made to the GTF. It has been extended, doubled, indexed and made permanent, and the eligible categories have been expanded, providing municipalities with more flexibility than ever before to support local infrastructure. By enshrining these commitments in legislation, municipalities are assured of an ongoing funding stream to address their infrastructure needs and priorities.
- The $53 billion New Building Canada Plan provides stable funding for a 10-year period, and includes:
- The Community Improvement Fund, consisting of the Gas Tax Fund and the incremental Goods and Services Tax Rebate for Municipalities, which will provide over $32 billion to municipalities for projects such as roads, public transit and recreational facilities, and other community infrastructure.
- The $14-billion New Building Canada Fund, which consists of:
- The $4-billion National Infrastructure Component, which will support projects of national significance; and
- The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component, which will support projects of national, regional and local significance. Of this amount, $1 billion is reserved for projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents through the Small Communities Fund.
- An additional $1.25 billion in funding for the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Canada Fund administered by P3 Canada; $6 billion in funding that continues to flow across the country this year and beyond under existing infrastructure programs.
- For British Columbia, the New Building Canada Plan represents approximately $3.9 billion in dedicated federal funding, including almost $1.1 billion under the New Building Canada Fund, with $109 million dedicated to the Small Communities Fund, and an estimated $2.76 billion under the federal Gas Tax Fund .*
- In addition to these amounts, British Columbia may also benefit from the $4 billion National Infrastructure Component, as well as the P3 Fund.
[*]NOTE: GTF funding by jurisdiction for the first five years (2014-2019) is based on 2011 Census data. GTF funding for 2019-2024 will be based on 2016 Census data. For illustrative purposes, Census 2011 data has been used for all 10 years. Due to the indexation of the GTF, funding for 2019-2024 is expected to be at least equal to GTF funding for the first five years.
Vincent Rabault
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
Jake Enwright
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Industry
613-995-9001
Paul Taylor
Director of Communications
UBCM
250-356-2938
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Website: Infrastructure Canada
