Province funding for central Ontario municipalities' infrastructure projects

A construction sign is seen in this file photo in Windsor, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2012. (Melanie Borrelli / CTV Windsor)

Simcoe County is one of almost a dozen municipalities to receive a share of nearly $6M for infrastructure.

The Ontario government is investing almost $22M to help rehabilitate critical infrastructure in 11 area municipalities through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and is part of the government's obligation to support economic growth and job creation.

The funding includes:

"Ontario Community Infrastructure Funding helps our government strengthen economic growth and job creation by providing funding to address critical infrastructure needs, including road, bridge, water, and wastewater projects," said MPP for Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte Doug Downey.

"This funding is vital for our small rural communities to address their infrastructure needs as they face growth challenges and help to build more resilient communities for tomorrow," Downey said.

As was done this year, in 2024, the government plans to allocate $400 million in OCIF funding to help 425 small, rural and northern communities pay for critical infrastructure projects, including road, bridge, water, and wastewater projects. Communities can accumulate its funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.

"Small, rural and northern communities need stable funding for their unique infrastructure needs and to provide safe and reliable services," said Kinga Surma, minister of infrastructure.

OCIF provides funding for local infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000 and all rural and northern communities. Funding allocations are based on a formula that considers each community's different needs and economic conditions.