Building Ontario with Investments in Small, Rural and Northern Communities

On December 8th, Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Minister of Infrastructure, Kinga Surma, announced the largest increase to the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) since the start of the program.

The Ontario government is providing an additional $1 billion over the next five years to help build and repair local roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in small, rural, and northern communities. This investment is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario by getting shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure projects that support economic recovery, growth and job creation.

For Simcoe North and Simcoe County, this means a combined investment of over $14M to support our local municipalities to include Tiny, Tay, Penetanguishene, Severn, Ramara, Orillia, Oro-Medonte, Midland, and the County of Simcoe.

Municipality 2022 Grant
County of Simcoe $5,289,462
Township of Oro-Medonte $641,669
City of Orillia $3,268,167
Town of Midland $935,354
Town of Penetanguishene $837,563
Township of Ramara $513,080
Township of Severn $785,539
Township of Tay $1,061,297
Township of Tiny $783,094

MPP Jill Dunlop News Release

Building Ontario with Investments in Small, Rural, and Northern Communities

Province supports economic growth and job creation with additional funding for critical infrastructure in Simcoe North

NEWS                                                                                                        December 9, 2021

SIMCOE NORTH – The Ontario government is providing a combined total of over $14M to help build and repair local infrastructure in the Townships of Oro-Medonte, Tay, Tiny, Ramara, and Severn, Also in the Towns of Penetanguishene and Midland, the City of Orillia, and County of Simcoe. This investment is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario by getting shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure projects that support economic recovery, growth, and job creation.

“This is exciting news for the residents of Simcoe North who rely on this critical infrastructure,” said Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North. “We are proud to work with our municipal partners to help provide critical infrastructure updates that support our communities and will help create good jobs locally.”  

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s additional $1 billion investment to help build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in small, rural and northern communities. The multi-year funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and will bring the government’s total investment to nearly $2 billion over the next five years.

“Our small, rural and northern communities will be at the forefront of our efforts to build Ontario for the future,” said Premier Doug Ford. “With this investment, we are saying ‘yes’ to helping these communities build and repair the vital infrastructure they need to keep their communities working for decades to come.”

Funding allocations will be based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities across the province. The new formula will include an increased funding minimum of $100,000 for all communities per year, up from $50,000 over previous years.

“Communities are the heartbeat of this province and we know they are facing unique infrastructure needs and challenges, especially as we navigate through the pandemic,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Our government has been with them every step of the way. When we were told more funding supports were needed, we listened and acted in a meaningful way by providing the largest OCIF increase since the start of the program. By doing so, we’re providing stability and predictability to small, rural, and northern communities to repair, upgrade, and modernize their critical infrastructure so that they are safer, healthier, and more reliable for all.”

The Province’s investment in OCIF is part of the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario. The plan lays out how the government will build Ontario’s future with shovels in the ground for highways, hospitals, long-term care, housing, and high-speed internet. To ensure all families, workers, and businesses in the province have a better and brighter future, our government’s planned infrastructure investments over the next decade total more than $148 billion.

QUICK FACTS

  • The OCIF supports local infrastructure projects for communities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern communities.
  • For 2021, approximately $200 million in funding was allocated to 424 small, rural and northern communities. Municipalities may accumulate their funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.
  • Ontario also provides funding to communities through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), a $30-billion, 10-year infrastructure program cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments, and other partners. Ontario’s share per project will be up to $10.2 billion spread across five streams: Rural and Northern, Transit Infrastructure, Community, Culture and Recreation, Green and COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure.
  • The 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario is the government’s seventh financial update since the pandemic began, highlighting the government’s commitment to providing regular updates on Ontario’s finances, even during this uncertain economic period. It is part of the government’s plan for recovery driven by economic growth.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES