Following the announcement that the federal government will be allocating $1 billion to infrastructure in municipalities, it's time to see what problems can be addressed.
Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Board Member Joe Masi says Portage la Prairie has been experiencing a lot of growth over the past few years. He notes that water and wastewater projects will most likely be top-of-mind when applying for this fund.
"The President of FCM (Scott Pearce) explained it best to me," explains Masi. "He said, 'It's like building a house and not having any toilets.' You need to invest in infrastructure to reach the housing goals that the Federal Government wants you to make."
Looking at the prospect of additional housing and investment making its way to Portage, Masi states that there is also the Community Building Fund, which helps provide the City with predictable funding. Portage receives roughly $700,000 annually from this fund.
"We were able to bank it and that's how we ended up doing our causeway project," says Masi.
While there are changes that could be on the way regarding the Community Building Fund, Masi would like to see it stay how it is as the money is usually not dependent on any conditions.
Looking forward, The City of Portage la Prairie will be focused on getting their projects prioritized so they can tap into the $1 billion fund.
Thu, May 2, 11:10 AM
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