Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli has made it a little easier for the 11 communities in his riding to work on infrastructure projects.
Fedeli has announced $3.29 million dollars in grants that the communities can use to repair roads and bridges or to apply the funds to water and wastewater infrastructure.
North Bay gets most of the money at $2.6 million.
Next up is Mattawa at $98,263 followed by Nipissing Township which is on the receiving end of $95,150.
Fedeli says the dollar amount is population-based so the larger a community is, the more it receives.
But he notes that some communities are so small that based on their population they would have received nothing.
“So when you look at the Township of Mattawan, their population is only 112 people, they would have got nothing,” Fedeli said.
“But they need infrastructure. They have roads and bridges.”
Fedeli says that’s why with the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, the smallest amount a community will receive is $50,000.
It means that in addition to Mattawan, Bonfield, Calvin, East Ferris, Papineau-Cameron and Powassan also receive $50,000 each.
Fedeli says the money will be available every year and it’s funds they can count on.
They also don’t have to spend it in the year that they receive it adding the communities can accumulate the funds and then spend it on a larger project.
The other two recipients in Friday’s announcement are Callander which was awarded $76,402 and Chisholm which gets a cheque for $88,423.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald expects the city’s share to be spent on projects this year.
But he also notes that there’s enough money that perhaps the city can move a small project it had planned for 2021 into this calendar year.
As for where the money will be applied McDonald says “there are no specific projects”.
McDonald says this council is committed to growing the city and appreciates Fedeli’s ongoing support to achieve that end.
“We want to be sustainable well into the future and Vic is a champion for the city and the region,” McDonald said.
