Canada and Alberta to make significant investments that will improve the lives of Canadians

$3.3 billion available for projects to build prosperous communities and transition to a clean growth economy

EDMONTON, April 3, 2018 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Alberta are working together to make long-term infrastructure investments that will create economic growth, sustain well-paying jobs, build inclusive communities and support a low carbon, green economy?leading to a higher quality of life for all Canadians.

Today, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Sandra Jansen, Alberta Minister of Infrastructure, announced the signing of a bilateral agreement that will provide more than $3.3 billion in federal funding through the Investing in Canada plan over the next decade for infrastructure projects. These projects will be cost-shared with the Alberta government, municipalities and other partners.

This new funding will see the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta make unprecedented investments in public transit, green infrastructure, recreational cultural, and community infrastructure, as well as rural and northern communities.

These investments will have benefits for people in communities across the province, including:

• faster commutes and travel times for more people, and easier movement of goods for businesses
• cleaner air and water
• reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• smarter and more efficient cities
• sustainable water management
• enhanced public parks, recreational facilities and other spaces that make communities great places to live
• better transportation and digital infrastructure for people living in remote communities

The funding announced today builds on Alberta's 2018 Capital Plan, which commits $26.6 billion over five years to support priority infrastructure projects across the province.

Across Canada, more than $33 billion in federal funding will be invested through new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories. Provinces and territories will develop three-year plans that will provide information on how they will implement their infrastructure projects.

Quotes

"I am pleased that Alberta and the Government of Canada have reached an agreement that will benefit communities across the province for years to come. Investments in infrastructure are key to building a strong Canada?connecting people, creating good jobs for the middle class, and strengthening our economy and our communities for the future. Today's agreement will provide the long-term predictable funding required to meet the needs of all Albertans, from those living in busy city centres to remote rural towns. I look forward to continuing to work with our provincial, municipal and Indigenous partners to make strategic investments in Alberta that will build inclusive resilient communities where everyone has opportunities to succeed."

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"This historic infrastructure agreement provides communities of every size across Alberta the opportunity to drive economic growth and support families and businesses. This $3.3 billion investment in Alberta will support public transit, green infrastructure, cultural and recreational buildings, and help build rural and northern communities."

The Honourable Sandra Jansen, Minister of Alberta Infrastructure

Quick facts

• Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• Under the first phase of the plan, Infrastructure Canada has approved nearly 3,500 projects across Canada worth a combined investment of more than $8.4 billion, including more than 170 projects worth more than $1.1 billion in Alberta.
• As part of the Plan, Infrastructure Canada will deliver $33 billion over the next decade through new bilateral agreements with provinces and territories under four funding streams:
• $20.1 billion for public transit;
• $9.2 billion for green infrastructure;
• $1.3 billion for community, cultural and recreational infrastructure; and
• $2 billion for wide-ranging infrastructure needs in rural and northern communities.
• The federal cost-share under the rural and northern infrastructure stream was increased from 50% to 60% on February 16, 2018. With this increase, provincial communities with fewer than 5000 residents will be eligible to receive a higher proportion of federal funding to address their unique infrastructure needs. Indigenous communities in the provinces will be eligible for a federal cost share of up to 75%.
• This marks the sixth new long-term infrastructure agreement the Government of Canada has signed with provincial and territorial partners.

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Backgrounder

Canada and Alberta to make significant investments that will improve the lives of Canadians
$3.3 billion available for projects to build prosperous communities and transition to a clean growth economy

Under the $180 billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is signing new ten-year bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories that will see more than $33 billion in federal funding invested in infrastructure projects across the country. The objective of these investments is to transform the way Canadians live, move and work across four priority areas:

• Public transit;
• Green infrastructure;
• Community, culture, and recreation infrastructure; and
• Rural and northern communities.

Alberta will receive a total of $3,397,857,039 from 2018 to 2028 through this agreement.

Allocations by funding stream

* Outcomes will be obtained through projects, which will be communicated in more detail as they are announced.

The bilateral agreements will allow the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories to agree on shared results as well as a method of regularly reporting on results on a regular basis. The bilateral agreements support the following long-term goals:

• Increase the rate of economic growth in an inclusive and sustainable way;
• Improve environmental quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resiliency of communities;
• Improve mobility in Canadian communities;
• Make Canadian communities more inclusive and accessible; and
• Manage infrastructure in a more sustainable way.

Under these new bilateral agreements, the Government of Canada will not only make significant investments in Canadian communities, but open the door to unique innovative project ideas that meet the agreed-upon outcomes. These new ideas will contribute to the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure.

To ensure our partners consider opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions or better adapt to climate change during the project development stage, a new climate lens will be applied to certain projects. Partners will also report on how larger projects are creating job opportunities for a broader array of Canadians in the construction industry and related sectors through a new Community Employment Benefits framework.

For information on cost-sharing, please see Infrastructure Canada's website.

Alberta's Transit Allocation (by community)

The Public Transit stream will provide provinces, territories and municipalities with funding to address the new construction, expansion, and improvement and rehabilitation of public transit infrastructure.

The table below provides an overview of the maximum federal transit allocations for the following recipients in Alberta

Note that other recipients of transit allocations will be announced at a later date.

Associated links

Government of Canada's $180-billion+ Investing in Canada plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html

Investing in Canada plan project map: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Federal infrastructure investments in Alberta: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/ab-eng.html

Government of Alberta's ICIP Portal: http://www.alberta.ca/ICIP

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada