The second day of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) annual conference is centered on “priorities” for Pickering, with Mayor Kevin Ashe engaging with provincial cabinet ministers to discuss two major aspects of the city’s future: expanding Highway 7 and securing funding for healthcare.
Ashe mentioned that speeding up the Highway 7 expansion would aid in growth, housing, and economic development. He also emphasized that pushing for new healthcare investments, including the proposed Pickering Post Acute Care Centre, will lead to “improved access” to much-needed family physicians.
On Monday, Ashe had meetings lined up with Transportation Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria and Health Minister Sylvia Jones.
The updates from day one of the AMO conference revolved around funding initiatives from provincial and federal governments aimed at increasing housing and recreational facilities.
Canada and Ontario have established a partnership that will provide up to $8.8 billion in combined federal and provincial funding over ten years for housing-enabling infrastructure projects. This includes $1 billion earmarked for supporting the construction of new homes and “critical infrastructure” in communities that do not charge development fees.
A new application process will be launched through Ontario’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure program, starting October 29.
The remaining amount of up to $7.8 billion is designated for housing-enabling infrastructure projects in municipalities that significantly reduce development charges on new homes as part of Ontario’s Development Charge Reduction program. The initial funding allocation was revealed in June when Toronto received $1.5 billion due to its commitment to lowering development charges by 40 to 60 percent.
Both the Ontario government and federal government are each contributing $500 million.
Todd Mc Carthy, Ontario’s acting infrastructure minister and MPP for Durham Riding, stated it’s about bolstering local economies amid uncertainties created by U. S. tariffs.
Durham MPP Todd Mc Carthy
During a news conference on Sunday, Mc Carthy highlighted that one major hurdle for new housing developments is the expense involved in building and upgrading infrastructure.
“We know that many municipalities are dealing with repair backlogs, higher construction costs, and limited funding sources for critical infrastructure projects – especially when they do not implement development charges,” he said.
At the AMO conference, Ontario also announced that applications are now open for another round of the $500 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure fund. There is $100 million available with applications accepted from August 17 until December 22.
This program finances the building and renovation of local sport and recreation facilities; it was expanded from $200 million to $500 million in this year’s provincial budget.
The first phase has already led to nearly 100 projects being completed, including constructing 17 new facilities and revitalizing 77 others. This latest intake makes it the largest investment ever made in the province’s sport and recreation sector.
With files from Canadian Press
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