CK receives over $6.6 million for infrastructure

Lambton-Kent-Middlesex M.P. Bev Shipley

Bev Shipley, Member of Parliament for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental, has announced the second installment of Canada’s Gas Tax Fund for 2013. This installment makes available a total of $14,720,993 to communities in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex this year to support its local infrastructure priorities. Area municipalities will also receive more than $3.3 million from the Government of Canada’s GST/HST Incremental Federal Rebate Program.

“Our government is proud to invest in important infrastructure projects, as we focus on creating jobs, promoting growth, and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada,” said Shipley. “This is funding each community in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex can use on the infrastructure priorities of their choice, in their communities. There is no application necessary.  If a community wanted to spend these moneys on bridge or road repairs, it is again their choice.”

Funding can currently be spent in the following areas:

• Drinking water
• Wastewater infrastructure
• Public transit
• Community energy systems
• Solid waste management
• Local roads

Shipley also noted that eligible categories for the Gas Tax Fund will be expanded and the Fund will be indexed at 2 per cent a year in $100-million increments, starting in 2014, allowing municipalities even more flexibility to focus on their infrastructure priorities. The expanded categories include:

• projects supporting culture, tourism, sport and recreation;
• disaster mitigation;
• broadband communication systems;
• highways;
• short-line rail;
• short-sea shipping;
• brownfield redevelopment; and
• local and regional airports.