The Ontario government is providing $15 million annually to northern municipalities to help build community infrastructure over the next five years.
Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Greg Rickford has introduced the new Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund.
“NORDS is intended to help 144 municipalities offset the cost of community infrastructure projects, to support sustainable growth and development.”
The program will share the benefits of mining and forestry with communities and funding allocations will be determined using household counts in each municipality.
Rickford says, “This fund has been carefully designed to ensure equitable distribution of capital so smaller communities are not left behind. Interestingly, some of them bear the greater responsibility or impact for some of the resource activities that go one.”
He adds, “To be clear here. We’ve heard your feedback on how you would use this funding and how quickly and easily it should flow to municipalities. It’s a flexible model. You can strategically invest in projects that will benefit the people that live there the most.”
Rickford notes the highlight of the program is community leaders can spend the money right away or they can save and stack it for future needs.
He stresses this fund will complement existing infrastructure funding streams.
Municipalities are encouraged to submit their projects for funding when the program opens on December 7.
Funding for year one of the program will be distributed to eligible municipalities by March 31, 2022.
With files from CKDR’s Mike Ebbeling
