Ottawa, Ontario – Infrastructure Canada

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities, and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today highlighted how the $53-billion New Building Canada Plan has contributed to the country's productivity and quality of life in 2014. Since our nation's largest and longest federal infrastructure plan was launched, significant progress has been made in implementing this historic initiative.

As the cornerstone of the New Building Canada Plan, the federal Gas Tax Fund continues to generate economic growth and job creation from coast to coast to coast. This year alone $2-billion was made available to municipalities, supporting over 2,000 new projects across Canada. Whether funds are invested to keep our roads safe, to improve residents' access to clean drinking water, to support community energy systems, to mitigate disaster or to help with the management of wastewater or solid waste, the federal Gas Tax Fund is making a difference in local communities.

The New Building Canada Fund component of this unprecedented infrastructure plan helps improve the lives of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Since the launch of the new plan in March 2014, important projects worth more than an estimated $5 billion in total project costs have been identified for funding under the New Building Canada Fund. These projects contribute to getting goods to market, to connecting people and businesses with the world, and to reducing gridlock on our roads and highways which in turn boosts our productivity and competitiveness. This includes projects such as, the Valley Line Stage 1 Light Rail Transit expansion in Edmonton Alberta, water and wastewater projects across Manitoba, and improvements to Nova Scotia's 100 series highway system.

The New Building Canada Plan builds on the Government of Canada's unprecedented investments in infrastructure, providing stable, predictable funding for projects that enhance economic growth, job creation and productivity. Over the next ten years, the Government of Canada will invest $75 billion in infrastructure that delivers results for Canadians — a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and better communities.

Quick facts

• The $53 billion New Building Canada Plan provides stable funding for a 10-year period, and includes:
• The Community Improvement Fund, consisting of the Gas Tax Fund and the incremental Goods and Services Tax Rebate for Municipalities, which will provide over $32 billion to municipalities for projects such as roads, public transit and recreational facilities, and other community infrastructure.
• The $14-billion New Building Canada Fund, which consists of:
• The $4-billion National Infrastructure Component, which will support projects of national significance; and
• The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component, which will support projects of national, regional and local significance. Of this amount, $1 billion is reserved for projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents through the Small Communities Fund.
• An additional $1.25 billion in funding for the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Canada Fund administered by PPP Canada; and,
• $6 billion in funding that continues to flow across the country this year and beyond under existing infrastructure programs, ensuring that communities have the resources they need to put every construction season to good use.

Quotes

"Through the New Building Canada Plan, the Harper Government has helped improve the lives of Canadians in 2014. Whether it's reducing commute times, improving water quality or increasing the flow of goods, each new project announced under the New Building Canada Plan illustrates how our programs are benefitting all Canadians."

- Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities, and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec