During the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced the opening of applications for the latest round of the $500 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF), with $100 million in funding available for this batch.
In a news release, the Ontario government shared that this batch will mark the most significant investment in the sport and recreation sector in the province’s history. The current application period closes on Dec. 22.
“Ontario’s $236 billion investment in infrastructure is providing unprecedented support to municipalities across the province, so we can grow the economy, unlock our resources, protect our workers and build the strongest and most competitive economy in the G7,” Ford said.
More on Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund
The Ontario government noted that the latest provincial budget boosted the CSRIF to $500 million from $200 million.
The CSRIF’s first round has helped support almost 100 local community projects, including 17 newly built and 77 revitalized facilities.
About Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build
Through a collaboration between the Canadian and Ontario governments, up to $8.8 billion in federal and provincial funding over a decade will help support housing-enabling infrastructure projects.
Ford announced that the federal and provincial governments, through the Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build, will reserve $1 billion for housing-enabling and critical infrastructure in municipalities not levying development charges on new homes.
This funding will be available via the new Non-Development Charge Municipalities Stream of Ontario’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), with applications to open this Oct. 29.
“The $1 billion provincial-federal investment will add to the approximately 800,000 new homes already being enabled through MHIP and help even more municipalities get shovels in the ground on housing-enabling infrastructure,” said Todd McCarthy, Ontario’s acting infrastructure minister.
According to the provincial government’s news release, the remaining $7.8 billion will finance housing-enabling infrastructure projects in municipalities substantially lowering development charges on new homes via Ontario’s Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP).
“The new Non-Development Charge Municipalities Stream is part of Ontario’s $4 billion MHIP to deliver core infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water systems that will create more jobs, build more homes, maintain existing homes and grow the economy,” McCarthy said.
“Our investments in community and housing-enabling infrastructure, combined with our full cut to the HST on new homes, are building stronger communities and saving families up to $200,000 off the cost of a home,” Ford added.
More infrastructure news
Here are some other recent news stories revolving around infrastructure.
Last July, the Canadian government announced an agreement with the Quebec government to deliver a $98 million envelope from the Local Impact Stream of the federal government’s Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), aimed at modernizing local infrastructure and equipment.
Last June, Evan Solomon – Canada’s minister of artificial intelligence and digital innovation and minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario – announced the launch of the BCSF Local Impact Stream in southern Ontario.
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