The Ontario Government is providing $14,686,006 to help build and repair local infrastructure in the municipalities of Hastings-Lennox and Addington.
Of that money, $1.52 million is going to L&A County, $1.3 million to Greater Napanee, $1.4 million to Loyalist, $407,902 to Stone Mills and $172,633 to Deseronto. Those figures are close to double, in some cases a little bit more, than the funding provided at the end of 2020.
“I know all of these municipal governments have been working very hard through the pandemic and these increased allotments for 2022 are welcome news,” said H-L&A MPP Daryl Kramp. “This will help address issues needing funding everywhere in both counties.”
Wednesday’s announcement is part of the government’s additional $1 billion investment to help build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in small, rural and northern communities. The multi-year funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and will bring the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion over the next five years.
“Our small, rural and northern communities will be at the forefront of our efforts to build Ontario for the future,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford in a media release. “With this investment, we are saying ‘yes’ to helping these communities build and repair the vital infrastructure they need to keep their communities working for decades to come.”
The government says the funding allocations are based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities across the province. The new formula will include an increased funding minimum of $100,000 for all communities per year, up from $50,000 in previous years.
The Province’s investment in OCIF is part of the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario. The plan lays out how the government will build Ontario’s future with shovels in the ground for highways, hospitals, long-term care, housing, and high-speed internet.