Supporting communities across Yukon
News release
June 11, 2020 - Whitehorse, Yukon - 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 announced that Yukon has received $16.5 million 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. Recent projects that have benefited from the GTF in Yukon include, the new flexi-hall floor at the Canada Games Centre in Whitehorse, which is improving comfort and safety for recreational activities, and a new electronic payment hardware and real-time bus tracking technology being installed in buses to make transit more convenient. The Village of Carmacks has installed new streetlights and the Champagne-Aishihik First Nations have installed solar panels on the Da Ku Cultural Centre for greater energy efficiency. The Town of Faro enhanced their wilderness trail system around and within the town for easier access by the community and visitors.
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 Yukon 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 people living in Canada’s North, especially in Yukon. 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 Yukon, to improve local infrastructure like public transit and protection of the local environment—and we will get Northerners back to work.”
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“Receiving this entire year’s Gas Tax Fund all at once will provide a financial boost as Yukon’s municipalities, First Nations and unincorporated communities continue ongoing projects and jump-start new ones. This investment will provide employment for Yukoners and economic development as we continue to revive our local economy.”
The Honourable John Streicker, Minister of Community Services
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
Stewart Burnett
Cabinet Communications
Government of Yukon
867-332-0480
stewart.burnett@gov.yk.ca
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications Analyst
Department of Community Services, Government of Yukon
867-332-5513
bonnie.ventonross@gov.yk.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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