TORONTO—The Ontario government is investing $400 million in critical infrastructure for small, rural and Northern communities. The funding is being delivered in 2023 through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and will support economic growth and job creation in 425 communities across the province.
“Ontario’s small, rural and northern communities are essential to the growth and prosperity of the province,” said Kinga Surma, minister of infrastructure. “As part of our plan to build Ontario, our government is continuing to provide stable funding to meet local infrastructure need and provide support in response to pressures from inflation. By supporting key community infrastructure projects, we are helping communities attract jobs and build local capacity to grow and thrive for generations to come.”
OCIF provides funding to eligible communities every year to help them renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater projects.
Assiginack Township will receive a grant of $223,018 in 2023, an increase over the 2022 grant of $193,929; Billings Township received funding of $100,000 in 2022 and will see this increase to $113,493 in 2023; Burpee and Mills Township will receive $100,000 for the second consecutive year in 2023; Central Manitoulin will receive funding of $167,640 in 2023, a decrease from the 2022 grant of $197,224; Cockburn Island will again receive $100,000 in 2023; the municipality of Gordon-Barrie Island will receive funding of $115,000 in 2023, an increase of $15,000 over 2022; the Town of Gore Bay will receive a grant of $174,631 in 2023, a decrease from the 2022 funding of $186,533; The Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands will receive $164,781 in 2023, a decrease from the 2022 grant of $193,860; and Township of Tehkummah $115,000 in 2023, an increase of $15,000 over 2022 funding.
In December 2021, the Ontario government announced an additional $1 billion for critical infrastructure projects that support economic growth and job creation in small, rural and Northern communities, bringing the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion dollars over five years.
OCIF supports local infrastructure projects by providing stable and predictable funding for communities with populations under 100,000 along with all rural and Northern communities.
