Project made possible thanks to New Building Canada Plan
July 13, 2015 – Thunder Bay, Ontario – Infrastructure Canada
The Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario was joined today by the Honourable Michael Gravelle, Ontario's Minister of Northern Development and Mines, to announce joint funding under the New Building Canada Plan for two projects to improve Highway 11/17 in Ontario. These upgrades will help increase mobility between Thunder Bay and Nipigon thus significantly benefiting North Western Ontario for years to come.
The first project will comprise the construction of a new 5-kilometre section of four-lane divided highway on Highway 11/17, between Black Sturgeon River Bridge and Red Rock Road #9. The second project will involve the conversion of a 15-kilometre section of Highway 11/17 into a four-lane divided highway from Highway 587 to Pearl Creek. Changing both two lane sections into four-lane divided highway will help to increase safety, and promote the seamless movement of goods and people throughout this corridor.
The New Building Canada Plan is the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada's history. This unprecedented commitment is providing $53 billion to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure, between 2014 and 2024. Over this ten–year period, Ontario will benefit from approximately $11 billion in dedicated federal funding, including almost $2.7 billion under the New Building Canada Fund.
The provincial funding is part of the Ontario government's largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history — more than $130 billion over 10 years, which will support more than 110,000 jobs per year on average, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals across the province.
- The Government of Canada has selected these projects for funding consideration under the New Building Canada Fund's Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component-National and Regional Projects. Federal funding for these projects is conditional on the project meeting applicable federal eligibility requirements with respect to the New Building Canada Fund and the signing of a contribution agreement.
Project 1: Highway 11/17 Improvements from Black Sturgeon River Bridge to Red Rock Road #9
- Government of Canada will provide up to $26,050,000 through the New Building Canada Fund's Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component-National and Regional Projects for this project.
- The Government of Ontario will be responsible for funding the remainder of the total project cost.
Project 2: Highway 11/17 Improvements from highway 587 to Pearl Creek
- Government of Canada will provide up to $30,000,000 through the New Building Canada Fund's Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component-National and Regional Projects for this project.
- The Government of Ontario will be responsible for funding the remainder of the total project cost.
- 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 that will support projects of national significance; and
- The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component for projects of national, regional and local significance. Of this amount, $1 billion 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 PPP Canada.
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
Mike Feenstra
Office of the Minister of Northern Development and Mines
416-327-0655
R. J. Riley
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines
Communications Branch
416-314-6275
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-Free: 1-877-250-7154
media@infc.gc.ca
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