Residents of seven British Columbia communities to benefit from $39 million in federal Gas Tax Fund

NANAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - July 5, 2016) -

Federal, Provincial and Local Government officials joined together today to announce the approval of seven new community projects that will improve drinking water, better protect the environment and provide new recreational opportunities for residents across the province.

The Member of Parliament for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, Pam Goldsmith-Jones was in Nanaimo today to make the announcement on behalf of federal Minister Amarjeet Sohi, as well as to celebrate funding for a Regional District of Nanaimo project. MP Goldsmith-Jones was accompanied by the MLA for Parksville-Qualicum, Michelle Stilwell; UBCM President Al Richmond; as well as the Chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo, Bill Veenhof.

Seven new capital projects in various British Columbia communities were selected for funding, which will support the construction of a range of community infrastructure projects. The projects relate to wastewater (3), recreational infrastructure (2), drinking water (1), and brownfield redevelopment (1).The projects will better protect the marine ecosystems that British Columbians and tourists rely upon, and build new places to meet and enjoy family recreational activities.

Among the projects is a wastewater outfall project for the Regional District of Nanaimo. Details of that project as well as a listing of the other six approved projects are available through the backgrounders (see associated links section).

Overall, the total federal contribution towards the seven projects is $39 million and comes through the application based Strategic Priorities Fund of the federal Gas Tax Fund.

The Government of Canada provides close to $266 million in indexed annual funding for municipal infrastructure in British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund. The majority of this funding is allocated to municipalities who decide which projects will address their local priorities. They can spend, pool, bank or use their annual allocation to finance loans related to eligible infrastructure or capacity building projects. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in BC, in partnership with Canada and British Columbia.

Quotes

"Through the federal Gas Tax Fund, the Government of Canada is allowing communities in British Columbia, and across Canada, to prioritize their infrastructure investments and decide how best to spend federal dollars. Whether it's about protecting local waters, modernizing community centres or just turning on the tap to drink clean fresh water, these seven community projects will contribute to building the strong, inclusive and sustainable communities Canadians desire to live in."

Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Member of Parliament, West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. On behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

"The Province of British Columbia continues to support its communities and ensure residents have access to clean drinking water, modern recreation facilities and updated wastewater treatment solutions. We are pleased to work with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the Government of Canada to provide municipalities and regional districts with a reliable source of funding for infrastructure investments and community planning through the Gas Tax Fund Agreement."

Michelle Stilwell, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. On behalf of the Honourable Peter Fassbender, Minister of Community, Sport, and Cultural Development.

"Local governments around British Columbia are looking for ways to finance the replacement and expansion of core infrastructure. The federal Gas Tax Fund provides valued support to accelerate the construction of projects that reflect the needs and priorities that have been identified by these communities. UBCM is proud to support the delivery of these significant federal investments and for the technical administrative support provided by the Province of B.C."

Al Richmond, President of the Union of BC Municipalities.

"This funding supports an essential infrastructure upgrade for the Regional District of Nanaimo. The new pipe will not only protect the surrounding environment, it will also allow for future population growth and will complement other facility upgrades underway at the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre."

Bill Veenhof, Chair, Regional District of Nanaimo.

Associated Links

Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada's new $120 billion infrastructure plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/index-eng.html.

Federal infrastructure investments in British Columbia: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/bc-eng.html.

Federal Gas Tax Fund: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html.

Details on the Nanaimo project: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1094179.

Details on the seven approved projects: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1094189.

BACKGROUNDER

The Government of Canada has contributed federal funding of $6 million to a wastewater infrastructure project in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is replacing the outfall pipe at the Greater Nanaimo Pollution Control Centre (GNPCC). Installed in 1973, the pipe carries treated effluent from the treatment facility to Morningside Park and continues for approximately 2 km out into the Strait of Georgia along the sea floor.

Upgrades to the pipe have been ongoing since 2014 and will be completed this summer. The GNPCC treats wastewater from approximately 93,000 residents in the City of Nanaimo, parts of the District of Lantzville and from Snuneymuxw First Nation lands.

Each year the Government of Canada transfers close to $266 million to the Province of British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF). As part of the New Building Canada Plan, the renewed federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) provides predictable, long-term, stable funding for Canadian municipalities to help them build and revitalize their local public infrastructure while creating jobs and long term prosperity.

For more information on the federal Gas Tax Fund, please visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html.

To learn more about the Regional District of Nanaimo's Outfall Replacement Project, visit www.rdn.bc.ca/gnpcc.

BACKGROUNDER

Each year the Government of Canada transfers close to $266 million to the Province of British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF). The funding is predictable, permanent and indexed to provide communities with a reliable ongoing funding source for their local infrastructure projects. The GTF provides communities with maximum flexibility. They can spend, bank, pool or use the funds to pay down infrastructure loans. Communities are free to direct the GTF to the eligible infrastructure projects they choose.

In British Columbia, the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund, in partnership with Canada and British Columbia. The annual funding is broken out into three funding sources:

• The Community Works Fund, which provides per-capita allocation-based funding for all BC communities;
• The Greater Vancouver Regional Fund, which pools a percentage of the GVRD and its member local governments' per-capita allocation for regional transportation projects proposed by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) and approved by the GVRD Board;
• The Strategic Priorities Fund, which provides communities outside the GVRD with access to pooled, application-based funding for projects larger in scale, or regional in impact, or innovative.

The Gas Tax Fund Management Committee recently approved funding for seven new infrastructure projects under the Strategic Priorities Fund.

Below is the list of the approved projects:

For more information on the federal Gas Tax Fund, please visit http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html.

For more information on the individual projects in the above list, please direct your questions to the communities themselves.

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada