Supporting communities across Northwest Territories
News release
June 11, 2020 - Yellowknife, Northwest Territories - Infrastructure Canada
The Government of Canada is taking decisive action to support communities and stabilize the economy across Canada, while first and foremost ensuring that the health and safety of all Canadians are protected during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna confirmed that the Northwest Territories has received $16.5 million through the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) for the 2020–21 fiscal year to fund its most pressing infrastructure needs.
The GTF provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories. For example, the building of the Tulita Multisport baseball field and playground supports community engagement and allow residents to enjoy more outdoor space. The community of Kasho Got’ine road improvement project will decrease dust in the air and improve overall air quality for residents. The City of Yellowknife centralized biomass boiler will increase energy efficiency and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
By enabling communities to plan for their current and future needs, and build or improve the infrastructure that will help them thrive through any circumstance, the GTF is a critical tool that will help ensure the Northwest Territories remains among the best places in the world to live for generations to come.
The Government of Canada will be announcing new measures in the coming weeks and months to help Canadian communities get back on their feet and make them even more resilient in the future.
Quotes
“Our Government is making immediate investments in infrastructure that will play a vital role in helping municipalities and First Nations communities revive their economies, and will improve the lives of Canadians, especially in the Northwest Territories. As a first step, we are accelerating this year’s payment through the federal Gas Tax Fund. This will put $16.5 million in the hands of communities in the Northwest Territories, to improve local infrastructure like safer roads, public transit and community centres—and we will get Northerners back to work.”
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“In these uncertain times, the federal Gas Tax Fund continues to contribute millions of dollars through infrastructure investments each year, in every community across the Northwest Territories (NWT). Gas Tax Funding provides support to NWT communities and the opportunity to respond to the critical infrastructure needs of each community.”
The Honourable Caroline Cochrane, Premier of the Northwest Territories and Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs
Quick facts
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The federal Gas Tax Fund is a long-term indexed source of funding for over 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years it has supported thousands of projects annually.
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The federal Gas Tax Fund has 18 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and roads. Communities can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
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Contacts
Chantalle Aubertin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
613-949-1759
chantalle.aubertin@canada.ca
Jay Boast
Communications Planning Specialist
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
Government of the Northwest Territories
867-767-9162 ext. 21044
Jay_boast@gov.nt.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
infc.media-medias.infc@canada.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
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