Re: "Federal funding for municipal infrastructure set to expire in 2014, B.C. cities, towns told," Sept. 26.
A new long-term infrastructure plan will be ready by the time the Building Canada Fund expires in 2014. It will focus on investments that support long-term economic growth and prosperity.
Over the last few months, Minister of State Steven Fletcher and I repeatedly made that message clear as we consulted with our partners during 14 roundtables across the country.
In fact, on July 3, Fletcher hosted a roundtable in Vancouver, where he consulted with stakeholders including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Union of B.C. Municipalities, the B.C. Construction Association and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce on the broad directions and priorities for a new plan.
The seven-year, $33-billion Building Canada Plan, introduced in the 2007 budget, was the first long-term plan for infrastructure. The plan is continuing to deliver results until 2014 and beyond.
Under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, our government invested $506 million in 443 infrastructure projects across B.C. In every corner of the province, jobs were created when the economy needed them most.
On April 1, 2009, the Gas Tax Fund was doubled to $2 billion per year nationally, and in December 2011, the government tabled legislation to make the fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion beyond 2014.
By 2014, British Columbia will have received almost $1.5 billion in federal support for infrastructure through that fund.
Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Ottawa
