The Federal Gas Tax Fund at Work in Nova Scotia

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 31, 2015) - Infrastructure Canada

The Government of Canada is proud to announce that the first installment of the annual allocation of the federal Gas Tax Fund has been made available to Nova Scotia municipalities. The annual $2-billion federal Gas Tax Fund allocation will provide over $53.2 million in 2015-2016 to help Nova Scotia communities build and rehabilitate their infrastructure.

Every year, municipalities benefit from the support and flexibility of the federal Gas Tax Fund. They can pool, bank and borrow against this funding, providing significant financial flexibility to plan infrastructure projects over the long term. Projects are chosen locally and prioritized according to the infrastructure needs of each community. Since 2006, municipalities across Nova Scotia have benefited from close to $422.1 million towards funding for local infrastructure priorities under the Fund.

Between 2014 and 2024, Nova Scotia municipalities will receive an estimated $580 million in new federal infrastructure funding through the Gas Tax Fund.

Quick Facts

• To date, $15 billion has been made available to Canadian municipalities through the federal Gas Tax Fund, with close to $22 billion flowing over the 10-year duration of the renewed agreements.
• On average, the federal Gas Tax Fund supports 200 projects per year in Nova Scotia, such as:
  • the revitalization of Webster Court in Kentville, including road resurfacing, curbs, sidewalks and LED street lights;
  • the replacement of the Marshall Street Bridge in Middleton;
  • the completion of a larger, energy-efficient administration building in St. Mary's;
  • Digby County's first material recovery facility in Clare; and
  • 22 new environmentally friendly buses for Halifax Metro Transit in Halifax.

Quotes

"Since 2006, the Government of Canada has made significant improvements to the federal Gas Tax Fund, taking concrete action on its commitment to ensure it delivers flexible, indexed and predictable long-term funding to communities across Canada. Investments through the federal Gas Tax Fund are helping Nova Scotia's municipalities address their local infrastructure priorities, while contributing to creating jobs, promoting productivity and supporting economic growth. This first installment of 2015 will continue to benefit residents across the province."

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Member of Parliament for Central Nova

Associated Links

To learn more about the federal Gas Tax Fund visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gtf-fte-eng.html.

For additional information on the New Building Canada Plan, visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/plan-eng.html.

To learn more about the Government of Canada's focus on jobs and the economy consult Canada's Economic Action Plan: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2015/home-accueil-eng.html.

Follow us on Twitter at @INFC_eng