The Ontario government is pledging funding for area infrastructure projects totalling $20 million.
If approved by the federal government, the provincial funding share would total more than $6 million.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli announced Ontario has nominated the following projects to the federal government as part of the Rural and Northern stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (provincial funding share in brackets):
- McKeown Avenue Four-Laning in North Bay ($1,666,500)
- Dorion Hill Road Reconstruction in Mattawa ($1,594,507)
- Alderdale Road Reconstruction in Chisholm Twp. ($876,788)
- Gull Bay Roads Rehabilitation in Nipissing First Nation ($808,649)
- Murphy Road Bridge Replacement in Mattawan Twp. ($625,145)
- Maple Hill Road Rehabilitation in Powassan ($488,717)
“We need to build and maintain great road and bridge infrastructure to help get people to work and home safely, so they can spend more time with the people they love,” said Fedeli.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald said the McKeown four-laning project was identified by senior staff “as one of the priorities.” He added, “McKeown Avenue area is just booming and one of the areas that we’re seeing a lot of constraints is where McKeown Avenue goes down from four lanes to two lanes.”
North Bay CAO David Euler confirmed the McKeown project would four-lane the avenue from where it currently narrows to the traffic roundabout at Gormanville Road and the foot of College Drive.
The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is a 10-year program that provides up to $30 billion in federal, provincial and local investments in communities across the province. Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33.33 per cent or about $10.2 billion spread across the four streams. Funding will be distributed between four streams:
- Rural and Northern
- Public Transit
- Green
- Community, Culture and Recreation
As of July 17, 41 new projects have been nominated to the federal government under the Rural and Northern stream. These are in addition to the 49 projects nominated for review on May 10. The federal government will review these projects and make final funding decisions.
“We’re continuing to work with municipalities, families and businesses, to make smart investments in our infrastructure, and keep it reliable,” says Ontario Minister of Infrastructure Laurie Scott.
