THUNDER BAY – The governments of Canada and Ontario are making investments to create jobs and grow the middle class, while building a foundation for a strong, sustainable economic future. Investing in public infrastructure supports efficient, affordable and sustainable transit services that help Canadians to safely get to and from work, school and other activities on time.
Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, on behalf of the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure, announced 21 newly approved projects that will benefit Thunder Bay under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF). The federal government is providing up to 50 per cent of funding for these projects-just over $6 million- and the municipality will provide the balance of funding.
The City of Thunder Bay will see the transit fleet renewed which will improve public transit access and safety for all passengers through the purchase of diesel fueled buses and specialized transit vehicles. Across the city, there will also be improvements to bus stops and shelters to make them more accessible, upgrades to transit facilities, and the construction of a multi-use trail, a new bike lane and pedestrian crossovers.
Minister Hajdu and Minister Gravelle also announced 26 other transit projects across Ontario-to benefit an additional seven communities for a total investment from the PTIF, including Thunder Bay, of more than $8.46 million in federal funding.
These investments are part of the bilateral agreement between Canada and Ontario, announced on August 23, 2016, and are in addition to the 168 projects announced that day for public transit projects. As of today, 215 public transit projects have been approved across Ontario under PTIF.
“The Government of Canada recognizes how important affordable and efficient transit infrastructure is to growing the middle class and getting kids to school, employees to work, and seniors to the services they need on time and back home quickly at the end of a long day. We are very pleased to announce new public transit projects here in Thunder Bay and across Ontario which will help make municipalities stronger, more inclusive and sustainable, while ensuring that Canadian communities remain among the best places in the world to live, work and raise a family,” states The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
“This partnership between Ontario, our municipalities, and the federal government builds on our government’s historic infrastructure investments we are already making as part of our economic plan for jobs and growth. The projects supported through this new agreement here in Thunder Bay and across the province will improve the transit experience for riders and help them support our low-carbon economy for decades to come,” says The Honourable Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, on behalf of the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure.
“The City of Thunder Bay is pleased to receive the $6 million in Transit related funding. We appreciate the commitment of the Federal Government, which leverages investments from the Province of Ontario and the municipality to enhance the public transit service that citizens rely and depend upon every day and take us a step closer to being a fully connected and sustainable City,” states Keith Hobbs, Mayor of the City of Thunder Bay.
Quick Facts
- This funding is part of the first phase of Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada’s historic plan to support public infrastructure across the country.
- The Government of Canada will provide more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding over 12 years for public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, transportation that supports trade, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
- Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province’s history. To learn more about what’s happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.
