The Federal Gas Tax Fund at Work in Saskatchewan

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 Saskatchewan municipalities. The annual $2-billion federal Gas Tax Fund allocation will provide over $56.2 million in 2015-2016 to help Saskatchewan 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 Saskatchewan have benefited from over $410 million towards funding for local infrastructure priorities under the Fund.

Between 2014 and 2024, Saskatchewan municipalities will receive an estimated $613 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 400 projects per year in Saskatchewan, such as:
  • The reconstruction of streets and sidewalks in Battleford;
  • The upgrading of a sewage pumping station at Prince Albert;
  • The repaving of streets in Rosetown;
  • The replacement of two bridges in the Rural Municipality of Buckland; and
  • The upgrading of a wastewater treatment plant at Biggar.

Quote

"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 Saskatchewan's municipalities address their local infrastructure priorities, while creating jobs, promoting productivity and supporting economic growth. This first installment of 2015 will continue to benefit residents across the province."

The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

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.

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