Let the infrastructure funding flow.
Over 40 million dollars from the federal provincial Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is going to municipalities in the Huron Bruce riding for various projects.
Over 4.4 million dollars from the Building Canada Fund has also been approved for local projects.
MP Ben Lobb says even though the federal government is facing a deficit situation, stimulating the economy at this time is the right thing to do.
Lobb says during the 1990’s, both the federal and provincial governments didn’t invest in infrastructure because they wanted to balance their budgets, and that put municipalities at a disadvantage.
MPP Carol Mitchell says stimulus funding represents jobs and the government recognizes that a lot of the work has needed to be done for several years.
She says the McGuinty government was well poised to make the investment when they budgeted 32 billion dollars for infrastructure this year.
The Ontario and federal governments are each providing one-third funding for 23 different projects.
The federal and Ontario governments are each contributing over 5.8 million towards the 17.6 million dollar plan to install sanitary sewers north of the Saugeen River.
Mayor Mike Smith says municipal staff were already preparing for the projects during the budget process, and he believes that’s why they were successful in getting grant money for three out of the four projects they applied for.
The feds and Ontario are also funding one-third of the cost of rehabilitating Northshore and Miramichi Bay Roads, and drainage and storm sewer work on Concession 10 in Saugeen Shores.
The Township of Ashfield Colborne Wawanosh is getting over 700 thousand dollars in total funding for the Lucknow and District Fire Hall ($375,000 each level)
The Township of Howick is getting more than half a million dollars in total from the feds and province for road reconstruction and the addition to a public works garage.
Over 900 thousand dollars in total funding ($466,666 each) will go to Huron East for the Cranbrook McNabb Road and Bridge work.
South Huron is getting 2 million dollars in total for a flood diversion system in
Exeter and the reconstruction of the Huron Park Industrial Area.
1.6 million in total funding both from levels of government will go to Central Huron for the Fire Hall and Orchard Line Road projects.
The provincial and federal government is each giving North Huron over 46 thousand dollars to upgrade the Blyth Campground.
The County of Huron is getting 1.7 million dollars to resurface County Road 14 and County Road 19.
Bruce County is getting a total of over 2.4 million dollars for road and bridge work.
In Kincardine, Queen’s Park and Ottawa are each giving over 331 thousand dollars towards a 993 thousand dollar proposal to restore the old town hall that is home to the Kincardine Centre for the Arts.
Mayor Larry Kraemer says the basis of the grant application was to restore the building to its original appearance.
He hopes it ends the debate over where to build a new arts centre for the municipality.
A group composed of local business people recently proposed that the old town hall be demolished and completely replaced with a new arts centre on the same site by Victoria Park.
100 thousand dollars each will also flow from the federal and provincial governments for accessibility improvements at Connaught Park in Kincardine.
Elsewhere in Bruce County, the province and federal government is funding two-thirds of a one million dollar watermain and road replacement project in the Point Clark area of Huron-Kinloss, and for resurfacing on Concession 4.
South Bruce is also receiving 115 thousand dollars each from Ottawa and Queen’s Park to renovate and improve accessibility at the Teeswater Library.
