Minister Gary Goodyear Visits Site of Community Infrastructure Project in Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 19, 2013) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and Member of Parliament for Cambridge, today visited the Galt Arena Gardens in Cambridge. Minister Goodyear toured the facility where work is underway for an infrastructure improvement project to replace the arena's dehumidifiers.

The Government of Canada, through the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF), supported the City of Cambridge with an investment of up to $200,000 to replace the dehumidifiers at the Galt Arena Gardens. The oldest continuously-operating ice hockey arena in the world, the Galt Arena Gardens offers recreational skating, hockey and summer camp programs for Cambridge residents, and is also home to the Cambridge Winter Hawks junior B hockey team. The dehumidifiers will help to preserve the arena's original heritage structures by reducing excess humidity, which will help to ensure the building's integrity as it ages. The new dehumidifiers will also help to make the arena more "green" by reducing the building's energy consumption.

"Our Government is proud to invest in Cambridge's community infrastructure to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity," said Minister Goodyear. "When we improve facilities such as the Galt Arena Gardens, we are strengthening our communities, and by strengthening our communities, we are building a prosperous southern Ontario."

"The Government of Canada's support is appreciated as our municipality continues to address aging infrastructure needs," said Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig. "The Galt Arena Gardens is a historical landmark and widely used by our community groups including being home to our junior B hockey team, the Cambridge Winter Hawks. Thousands of citizens benefit from this facility year-round for a wide range of sports, special events and summer camp programs."

CIIF is benefiting many types of projects, including parks, libraries, recreational facilities, community and cultural centres, tourism facilities, and other existing infrastructure assets that have a local community impact.

The national Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund provides $150 million over two years for repairs and improvements to existing public community infrastructure. The Fund is being delivered by regional development agencies across Canada. FedDev Ontario is responsible for administering the program, drawing on its expertise in the delivery of infrastructure programs, while the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) is assisting with its knowledge of the region to manage communications activities related to the Fund in northern Ontario.

Created in 2009, FedDev Ontario supports the southern Ontario economy by building on the region's strengths and creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. In Budget 2013, the Government of Canada demonstrated its continued commitment to workers, families and communities in southern Ontario with the renewal of FedDev Ontario. Economic Action Plan 2013 provides $920 million over five years for the Agency, starting on April 1, 2014. As part of the renewal, FedDev Ontario will be allocating $200 million over five years for a new Advanced Manufacturing Fund in Ontario. To learn more, please visit www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

In Economic Action Plan 2013, the Government of Canada indicated it will be moving forward with the new Building Canada plan, the largest long-term federal commitment to Canadian infrastructure in our nation's history: $53 billion over the next 10 years.

As outlined by the Prime Minister, the Government of Canada remains focused on what Canadians care most about: their families, the safety of our streets and communities, their pride in being a citizen of this country, and their personal financial security.

To learn more, please visit www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca or call 1-866-593-5505.

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This news release is available online at: www.FedDevOntario.gc.ca.