Government of Canada supports important upgrades to water infrastructure and public transit services

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July 31, 2015 – Halifax, Nova Scotia – Infrastructure Canada

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Member of Parliament for Central Nova, was joined today by Joachim Stroink, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Halifax–Chebucto, and Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality, to announce federal funding of up to $1.83 million for the purchase of new public transit buses and up to $5.06 million for upgrades to water supply mains in Halifax Regional Municipality under the New Building Canada Plan in Nova Scotia.

The project to renew the Halifax Transit fleet involves purchasing ten conventional 40-foot accessible low-floor buses to replace older vehicles and five new Access-A-Bus vehicles.

The new low-floor buses feature the extra capacity required to accommodate growing ridership in Halifax as well as those who commute from Lunenburg, Hants and Colchester counties to the city centre from park-and-rides on the city’s outskirts. The Access-A-Bus vehicles will expand Halifax Transit’s services for people with disabilities and help meet the growing demand for accessible transit from an aging population encountering mobility challenges.

The water transmission main renewal project involves upgrading water supply mains serving the areas of Bedford, Port Wallace and Lucasville.

In Bedford, approximately 1000 metres of transmission main will be replaced and rehabilitated along the Hammonds Plains Road and the Highway 102 corridor to the Meadowbrook Reservoir Control chamber to improve the primary water supply main for Bedford and Sackville. In Port Wallace, the existing water transmission main from the Mount Edward Road water reservoirs to the Burnside water reservoir will be twinned to increase system capacity and reliability in support of the expanding Burnside Industrial Park. In Lucasville, a new transmission main will be built from the Pockwock Transmission Main to the Sackville-Beaverbank area to increase back-up water supplies.

The New Building Canada Plan is the largest and longest federal infrastructure plan in Canada’s history. This unprecedented commitment is providing $53 billion to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure between 2014 and 2024. Over this ten-year period, Nova Scotia will benefit from approximately $1 billion in dedicated federal funding, including almost $426 million under the New Building Canada Fund.

Quick Facts

Bus fleet renewal project -The Government of Canada has selected this project for funding consideration of up to one third of the total eligible costs ($5,500,000), to a maximum of $1,833,333, under the New Building Canada Fund’s Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component—National and Regional Projects. This funding is conditional on the project meeting applicable federal eligibility requirements with respect to the New Building Canada Fund and the signing of a contribution agreement. -The Government of Nova Scotia will also contribute one third of the project costs up to $1,833,333. -Halifax Regional Municipality will be responsible for the remaining costs of the project.

Water transmission main renewal project -The Government of Canada has selected this project for funding consideration of up to one third of the total eligible costs ($15,200,000), to a maximum of $5,066,666, under the New Building Canada Fund’s Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component—National and Regional Projects. This funding is conditional on the project meeting applicable federal eligibility requirements with respect to the New Building Canada Fund and the signing of a contribution agreement. -The Government of Nova Scotia will also contribute one third of the project costs up to $5,066,666. - Halifax Regional Municipality will be responsible for the remaining costs of the project.

New Building Canada Plan -The $53-billion New Building Canada Plan provides stable funding for a 10-year period, and includes: o 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. o The $14-billion New Building Canada Fund, which consists of: -The $4-billion National Infrastructure Component that will support projects of national significance; and -The $10-billion Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component for projects of national, regional and local significance. Of this amount, $1 billion for projects in communities with fewer than 100,000 residents through the Small Communities Fund. o An additional $1.25 billion in funding for the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Canada Fund administered by PPP Canada.

Quotes “Improving the quality of life of Canadians and ensuring our communities have the necessary infrastructure to grow and be places where we want to raise our families is a priority for the federal government. With the New Building Canada Fund, our Government’s support for public infrastructure has never been stronger and we are contributing to our long-term prosperity. We are pleased to work with the Government of Nova Scotia to approve projects under the New Building Canada Fund. Investing in these important water transmission and public transit service projects will ensure that infrastructure funding continues to flow as we focus on creating jobs, promoting growth, and building strong, prosperous communities across Nova Scotia and across Canada.” The Honourable Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Member of Parliament for Central Nova

“We recognize the value of investing in municipal infrastructure, such as these transit upgrades and water improvements in Halifax Regional Municipality, for the benefit of citizens. We will continue to work collaboratively with our federal and municipal colleagues to make infrastructure improvements that help us build stronger communities across Nova Scotia.” Joachim Stroink, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Halifax–Chebucto

“Today’s investments support the continued smart growth of the entire Halifax region with communities that have good access to high quality public services.” Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality

Associated Links

To learn more about the New Building Canada Fund – Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – National and Regional Projects, please visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nrp-pnr-prog-eng.html.

For additional information on the New Building Canada Plan, visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcp-npcc-eng.html.

To learn more about the Government of Canada's focus on jobs and the economy consult Canada’s Economic Action Plan at http://www.budget.gc.ca/2015/home-accueil-eng.html.

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