As part of Budget 2018, the Government of Canada is proposing to provide $73.3 million over six years, on a cash basis, to support the construction and ongoing operations of a new joint facility that will house Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library.

The new joint facility will be an iconic community hub, providing access to both the national library and archives as well as a world-class public library in Canada’s capital. The government hopes the new facility will increase citizen participation in the community and improve access to Canada’s history, culture and collective knowledge.

The government’s funding will start in 2018-19, with $4 million per year ongoing. This represents the federal government’s share of the project; the City of Ottawa is expected to provide the balance. The new joint facility is expected to be completed by 2023.

The government also proposed an investment that would help provide federal inmates with training opportunities to acquire new skills, while preparing for their successful employment and reintegration into the community. The federal government’s proposed investment of $4.3 million would be provided over five years, beginning in 2018-19, to support the reopening of the Penitentiary Farms at the Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions in Kingston, Ont. The farms would be run by CORCAN, a key rehabilitation programming agency of the Correctional Service of Canada.