The federal government has announced a $3.3-billion COVID-19 infrastructure program for resilient projects to help Canadian communities respond to the global pandemic.
The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is being adjusted so that provinces and territories can use federal funding to act quickly on a wider range of more pandemic-resilient infrastructure projects.
Under a new COVID-19 Resilience funding stream, projects will be eligible for a significantly larger federal cost share – up to 80 per cent for provinces, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations in provinces, and raising it to 100 per cent for territorial and Indigenous projects designated under the new stream. A simplified funding application process will ensure that projects can get underway as soon as possible, and accelerated approvals will ensure that provinces and territories can address pressing needs in a timely manner.
Projects will include retrofitting schools, upgrading hospitals and long-term care homes, building new parks and disaster mitigation projects that protect against floods and fires.
“Our government recognizes that with the health and economic challenges presented by COVID-19, we need to support Canadians to protect their health, improve their quality of life, and create jobs. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities,” said Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna.
To be eligible for funding under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, the project’s eligible costs must be under $10 million, construction must be started no later than Sept. 30, 2021, and it must be completed by the end of 2021 (or by the end of 2022 in the territories and in remote communities).
The following are the maximum allocations from the new stream:
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $55,584,285
- Prince Edward Island: $36,697,732
- Nova Scotia: $82,849,316
- New Brunswick: $67,321,757
- Quebec: $753,593,792
- Ontario: $1,184,648,346
- Manitoba: $117,207,615
- Saskatchewan: $89,632,301
- Alberta: $339,785,704
- British Columbia: $412,968,016
- Yukon: $44,561,730
- Northwest Territories: $57,077,683
- Nunavut: $56,676,162
