Infrastructure boost for Ontario

Ontario’s municipalities are to receive an extra CA$ 150 million (US$ 151 million) to build roads, repair sewers and improve other public infrastructure.

Speaking at a press conference, Premier Dalton McGuinty, said, the money would create about 6700 new construction jobs and be used where the local communities have deemed necessary.

The money tops up an existing CA$ 300 million (US$ 302 million) infrastructure fund announced in 2007. The new money brings the infrastructure fund up to CA$ 450 million (US$ 453 million) but still falls short of the CA$ 700 million (US$ 705 million) demanded by the municipalities.

Projects will be announced soon and municipalities will have their money, which is targeted to help rural and smaller municipalities, by March 31.

The infrastructure fund was announced in last year's fall economic statement, at which time Toronto, which will receive no extra cash, was given CA$ 206 million (US$ 208 million) to help with transit costs.

“The reason we’re driving so hard on infrastructure is because all this construction creates thousands and thousands of jobs in the short term just when we need them and it enhances our productivity in the long term,” Mr McGuinty told delegates at a joint meeting of the Ontario Good Roads Association and Rural Ontario Municipal Association.