Thunder Bay City Council has the opportunity to sign-off on funds for approved projects during its next committee of the whole meeting, Monday evening.
Council will use the formal process of signing off on the Transfer Payment Agreement with the province’s transport ministry which allows the city to receive its allocation of funds for projects approved in Phase I of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Mayor Bill Mauro said in a recent interview that the province had the final say in what projects get funded.
“The recreational stream that we previously applied for the multi-turf facility, it was the province that had to nominate it to the federal government for final approval,” said Mauro.
“I believe this list of projects had to go through the same steps, where the provincial government had to nominate it to Ottawa,” he added.
When it comes to the multi-use indoor turf facility, in a letter only made public March 18th, Queen’s Park noted that portion of the application for $22-million was turned down, though no reason was given.
In order to receive the funds, municipalities must provide matching funds of nearly 27 per cent for eligible capital projects and are able to utilize provincial gas tax funds.
Eligible projects approved for federal funding:
- Transit hub improvements
- Vehicle refurbishment
- Conventional and specialized vehicle replacement
- Transit facility improvements
- Safety equipment
- Construction of new pedestrian crossovers
- Mobility system hardware
- Electronic fare management
- ITS software improvement
- Construction of new pedestrian facilities
- Transit bus improvements
- Transit fleet service equipment
- Specialized fleet expansion
