Supporting communities across the Northwest Territories
News release
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, July 26 2021— The health and safety of all Canadians are top priorities for the Government of Canada. Communities across the country are on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, and need immediate assistance to ensure their public infrastructure is safe and reliable. That is why the Government of Canada is taking decisive action to support communities and stabilize the economy.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced that the Northwest Territories has received $17.25 million through the new Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) for the 2021–22 fiscal year, along with a top-up of $16.5 million. This top-up doubles the amount of money that Northwest Territories communities received through the program in 2020-21, enabling them to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents.
The CCBF provides communities with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities across a wide range of categories. For example, funding has helped the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk improve its arena to support a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of all ages. The City of Yellowknife and the Town of Fort Smith have also been able to continue their efforts to replace aging wastewater infrastructure, providing residents with safer and more reliable services.
As of June 29, 2021, what was once known as the Gas Tax Fund, has been renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund. This name change better reflects the program’s evolution over time and will not alter or modify the objectives or requirements of the program.
Fire halls and fire station infrastructure have been added as an investment category for the program. This addition will contribute to the program’s objective of building stronger and more resilient communities.
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 CCBF 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.
Quotes
“The federal government understands the importance of helping communities invest in critical infrastructure like clean drinking water, broadband and recreational spaces. That is why we are partnering with the Northwest Territories through the Canada Community-Building Fund to support projects across the territory that create good jobs, tackle climate and build more inclusive communities.”
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“The doubling of the Canada Community-Building Fund will improve the daily lives of people in the Northwest Territories, by allowing communities of all sizes to plan important infrastructure projects, while creating jobs and strengthening the economy. The flexibility of the categories allows communities to plan for the long-term as we work together through the impacts of the pandemic."
Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for the Northwest Territories
“We are pleased to announce that the Canada Community-Building Fund continues to contribute millions of dollars through infrastructure investments each year, in every community across the Northwest Territories (NWT). Canada Community-Building funding provides support to NWT communities and the opportunity to respond to the critical infrastructure needs of each community. These allocations combined with the one time top-up will allow for significant improvements to community infrastructure in all of our communities.”
Shane Thompson, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs
Quick facts
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The Canada Community-Building 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 CCBF has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and broadband. 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
Emelyana Titarenko
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
873-355-9576
emelyana.titarenko@infc.gc.ca
Jay Boast
Communications Planning Specialist
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
Email: infc.media.infc@canada.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada
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