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Ottawa Commits Billions to Growth (maybe Halton)
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Author:  Tony Lambert [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Ottawa Commits Billions to Growth (maybe Halton)
Hi Everyone,

We received great news this morning, the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Halton's federal member of parliament and Labour minister announced that the federal government earmarked in last week's federal budget more than $70 billion dollars over the next 10 years to infrastructure across Canada. Under the new Building Canada Plan (details to be worked out), tens of billions of federal dollars have now been pledged for new infrastructure, potentially some of that money will go towards projects in Milton.

Regional staff are currently identifying and preparing projects after last week’s federal budget announcement that earmarks $70 billion in infrastructure. I have started to advocate that if Halton receives some of the billions of dollars slated in last week's federal budget, that some of this money should go to expanding Britannia Road.

Also in the announcement this morning, there will be over the next 10 years a community improvement fund that earmarks $32.2 billion, indexing the gas tax fund, as well as increasing GST rebate for municipalities to build roads, public transit, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure in Canada.

Here is an article from the Milton Canadian Champion which discusses the announcement
http://www.insidehalton.com/news/articl ... astructure

As soon as regional staff explain the details of the Building Canada Plan, and which Halton projects are eligible, I will post here the specifics (probably end of April). Have a great day everybody.


Best Regards,
Tony

Tony Lambert
Town & Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 and 8
http://www.tony-lambert.ca
Author:  Batman B [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
thats amazing! where is the breakdown of the billions halton is getting? All I see is canada...
Author:  Tony Lambert [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
RichardTNC wrote:
thats amazing! where is the breakdown of the billions halton is getting? All I see is canada...



Hi RichardTNC,

We are getting the details, starting from today. The Hon. Minister Raitt said at the meeting that Halton Regional staff have to contact the Federal government's staff and get details on the funding, which projects are eligible, and basically work together. This is great news for us, everyone left today's meeting quite happy.

As I mentioned, as soon as I know, you (and everyone else) will know (right here). I am really hoping (and pushing) for some of the money (if we get it, and I think we will), to go straight to widening Britannia road ahead of schedule. The sooner we can get Britannia Road widened, the better. To me, Britannia is the singular, number one road that urgently requires widening in Halton Region (and I remind everyone of this at the Region whenever I can). If we at the Region could accelerate the widening even faster than the time we have already accelerated it, with Federal money - perfect! I'm going to be pushing for that at the Region (accelerate Britannia road widening even faster), and will keep everyone informed.

Best Regards,
Tony

Tony Lambert
Town & Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 and 8
http://www.tony-lambert.ca
Author:  Tony Lambert [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
Hi MiltonOntarioNetwork,

Good evening, I saw your post and it did have the link to the Milton Canadian Champion's article. I thought it was very important for readers to have some additional background to this announcement that was not in the Champion article. As well as the timing when I will update everyone on the projects chosen to receive any funding Halton region receives (end of April).

I should also mention that the Town of Milton is also assessing which town projects will be eligible for the $70 billion dollars announced today. I have been told that the town projects will be roads and/or bridges (as opposed to buildings).


Thank You,
Tony

Tony Lambert
Town & Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 and 8
http://www.tony-lambert.ca
Author:  bremer [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 9:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
New we can afford even more red light cameras.
Author:  Greenjp [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
bremer wrote:
New we can afford even more red light cameras.
And buses ya...but buy them with no seats to save money b/c they will be empty like all the other ones :lol:
Author:  Stuck Here [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
cactus_jack wrote:
How about a party? Can we have a big party? Like a music festival, with actual real bands? And you can walk around with a beer? Yeah, let's have a party.


In the velodrome infield perhaps?
Author:  Xendrick [ Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
Tony Lambert wrote:
...potentially some of that money will go towards projects in Milton...

... if Halton receives some of the billions of dollars slated in last week's federal budget...



Potentially and if ... don't see how you get Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth from that?



I'm in on the let's have a party in the velodrome idea ......

The roof will keep us dry when we fall down tanked .... there's enough in that budget for a roof right...??
Author:  Rick Di Lorenzo [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 7:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
I wonder if some of those billions for 'new community infrastructure' could include something for Milton Education Village? Probably not. It's mostly provincial funding but the feds have been known to get their toes wet on occasion with support
Author:  Mike_Cluett [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
The $70 B is a fund from the federal government over 10 years that municipalities can apply for shovel ready projects which can only help growing places like ours get caught up on much needed infrastructure. The focus I think will be less on buildings and more on road construction. I know Region of Halton staff have a list of projects they'd like as well as the Town would have their share as well to put on the list.

To quote from the Champion article "Regional staff are busy identifying and preparing shovel-to-the-ground projects like the Britannia expansion after last week’s federal budget announcement that earmarks $70 billion in infrastructure." Gary Carr has long been pushing both the province and federal government for help with long delayed projects like Britannia Road expansion. The environmental assessments for that are to be completed by the end of the year, and once the current Federal government plan expires, this new one kicks in and that timing should be good for Britannia. Halton staff are currently working on that plan.

Other important quotes are "A part of the decade-long plan, which will come into affect next year when the old plan expires, includes a community improvement fund that earmarks $32.2 billion, indexing the gas tax fund and increasing GST rebate for municipalities to build roads, public transit, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure across Canada."

This means that municipalities will be getting a higher share of the gas tax in coming years, which again is very important as those revenues are to go towards road construction, public transit etc.

The announcement by the Minister doesnt necessarily "commit" billions to the Halton Region but because of the fact we are a fast growing region, we have a good shot at getting some important projects funded.
Author:  Norts999 [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
Does anyone have one of those huge novelty calculators?
Divide $70 billion by the population of Canada. Allocate each of us in Halton 1000% of our fair share.
Does this come close to a commitment of billions?
Author:  Mike_Cluett [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
It doesnt take a novelty calculator to show that we wont be getting a huge chunk of the billions. Its a ten year plan.... $70B in 10 years ... $7B per year ... divided up to the many municipalities in Canada. Nowhere in Raitt's announcement did it state a commitment of billions from that part of the plan.

The announcement included an increase to gas tax revenue sharing and in turn Halton and Milton will get a higher amount in the coming years, money that can be used for infrastructure, transit etc. This gas sharing revenue is from the tax on gas we pay at the pumps.
Author:  garlis [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 8:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Halton Region's Growth
Mike_Cluett wrote:
The $70 B is a fund from the federal government over 10 years that municipalities can apply for shovel ready projects which can only help growing places like ours get caught up on much needed infrastructure. The focus I think will be less on buildings and more on road construction. I know Region of Halton staff have a list of projects they'd like as well as the Town would have their share as well to put on the list.

I hope there is discussion at council and with the public to set priorities and review resulting maintenance/operating costs. The lure of "free" money to spend is strong.

In the past when Milton has rushed to get a share of "free" money from senior government we have ended up with some questionable projects/timing - a bridge on the Lower Base Line long before there was a road, a main library in the wrong place, a culture centre, tennis complex in Campbellville, a velodrome, etc.

Does this eliminate the need for an infrastructure levy? Can these funds be used for the municipal share of a hospital expansion?
Author:  Mike_Cluett [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Growth (maybe Halton)
If youre asking if council can change its mind and put the money set aside for the infrastructure levy towards the hospital, anything is possible I imagine, but highly unlikely. The fed program theyre talking about now cannot be used for local portion of the hospital expansion and the feds cant fund hospital construction as its a provincial jurisdiction.

Imagine if we could use DC's to fund the hospital expansion...there wouldnt be a use for the levy.

As I and Rick M have mentioned, once taxes / levy's are in they are impossible to get rid of. Our current makeup of council wouldnt allow that to begin with.
Author:  CompassLaura [ Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Ottawa Commits Billions to Growth (maybe Halton)
garlis:
Quote:
Does this eliminate the need for an infrastructure levy? Can these funds be used for the municipal share of a hospital expansion?


I'm going to jump in and say no. Because of jurisdiction; the feds fund healthcare through transfer payments. The provinces have the last say of where they're used. And because the last I heard the expansion is nowhere near meeting the 'shovel ready' requirement. I think the province is still in the process of negotiating what services are going to be offered at the completed hospital.

Besides that, there was a similar coversation the last time we got free money from the feds. Sadly the answer hasn't changed. I think the jurisdiction issue is similar in the case of M.E.V. the province funds education, therefore the feds won't stick their noses in.
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