Moishe Alexander notes that the Government of Canada’s plans for the Town of Blind River have been approved for an infrastructure loan.
Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Blind River has been approved for a low-cost loan of $49.5 million from CMHC’s Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program (MILP), to construct a solar energy generating facility. The project includes the installation of approximately 45,000 solar panels on 285 towers over an area of 120 acres and will provide the residents of Blind River with a low-cost renewable energy supply.
“Our Government understands the importance of infrastructure in maintaining strong and prosperous communities,” said MP Rickford. “This program is opening the door for municipalities to meet their housing-related infrastructure needs. Canada’s Economic Action Plan will continue to create jobs, provide economic stimulus for communities in all corners of the country, and support Canadian workers and families.”
Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides up to $2 billion in direct low-cost loans to municipalities, over two years, for housing-related infrastructure projects through the MILP. Municipal infrastructure loans are available to any municipality in Canada and provide a new source of funds for municipalities to invest in housing-related infrastructure projects. These low cost loans can also be used by municipalities to fund their contribution for cost-shared federal infrastructure programming.
“The Town of Blind River is very excited about the development of the Blind River Solar Generating Facility. With the tremendous assistance of the CMHC, our community takes a giant step forward into a stronger, greener future,” said Mayor Robert Gallagher.
Eligible projects include infrastructure related to housing services such as water, power generation and waste services, as well as local transportation infrastructure within and into residential areas, such as roads, sidewalks, lighting and green space.
As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable, and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.
The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, announced today that the governments of Canada and Quebec concluded an agreement concerning the implementation in Quebec of CMHC’s Municipal Infrastructure Lending Program (MILP) for housing-related infrastructure projects.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides up to $2 billion in direct low-cost loans to municipalities, over two years, for housing-related infrastructure projects through the MILP. Under the agreement, Quebec municipalities can submit applications directly to Financement-Québec to obtain low-cost loans that can be used to finance these projects.
These low-cost loans will significantly reduce the cost of borrowing for municipalities, which can use the funds to invest directly in housing-related infrastructure projects, including eligible work performed under cost-shared federal and Quebec infrastructure programs.
“Our government understands the importance of infrastructure in maintaining strong and prosperous communities,” said Minister Finley. “This program gives municipalities in Quebec access to the low-cost funding they need to move forward quickly on housing-related infrastructure projects. These projects will also stimulate job creation in communities across Canada.”
“This new partnership targets the modernization and improvement of housing-related municipal infrastructure. Our government is moving forward and stepping up efforts to ensure that Quebec municipalities have modern and sustainable infrastructure — indispensable tools to take up the challenges of the future in order to enhance the quality of life ,” said Minister Lessard.
Eligible municipal infrastructure projects must be related to new or existing residential areas and contribute to their effective servicing. These projects include, for example, infrastructure related to the provision of housing services, such as water, wastewater and solid waste services; power generation; local transportation infrastructure within or into residential areas, such as roads, bridges and tunnels; and residential sidewalks, lighting, pathways, landscaping and green space.
As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes — homes that will continue to create vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.
Financement-Québec is an agency of the Government of Quebec that offers financing to Quebec’s parapublic entities, such as school boards, CEGEPs, universities, hospitals and municipalities.
The governments of Canada and British Columbia, announced today $15.5 million for the construction of 322 modular housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities to be constructed by four B.C. modular housing manufacturers.
“The Harper Government is helping Canadian seniors and persons with disabilities during these tough economic times through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. Our government’s investment of $7.75 million will stimulate the economy and create jobs during the global recession,” said Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops – Thompson – Caribou, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). “Here in B.C., this achievement gives hope to seniors and people with disabilities who need quality affordable housing that meets their needs, while creating local jobs.”
“While the primary focus of the Seniors’ Rental Housing initiative is to provide affordable housing in rural and remote communities, we’re also creating employment and stimulating local economies by awarding the modular housing contracts to local modular manufacturers,” said Rich Coleman, Minister of Housing and Social Development. “These modular housing units will use close to 100 per cent B.C. wood sourced from Pine Beetle infected forests. This supports the new Wood First Act, which aims to increase demand for wood products by requiring provincially-funded building projects to use wood as the primary construction material.”
Through an amendment to the Canada – British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement, the federal and provincial governments are contributing a combined total of $15.5 million for the construction of the 322 modular housing units. As part of the Seniors’ Rental Housing (SRH) initiative, these modular units will be shipped to selected rural communities across the Province to provide affordable housing for independent seniors and persons with disabilities.
The successful proponents, selected by BC Housing through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued in August 2009, were Britco Structures Inc., Chaparral Industries, Freeport Industries Ltd. and Northern Trailer, a division of Horizon North. These companies will construct single-storey modular units which will be designed to incorporate energy efficient features and built using B.C. forest products.
“Modular construction integrates building processes by enabling greater control, higher quality, shorter timelines and lower, more predictable costs” said Mark Brown, president of Northern Trailer. “We are looking forward to working with the federal and provincial governments to customize the designs of the modular units to provide the most appropriate homes for seniors and persons with disabilities.”
The SRH initiative is a result of a $365-million joint investment under an amendment to the Canada – British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement, which includes funding through Canada’s Economic Action Plan and by the Government of British Columbia. It provides $123.5 million, including $104 million for seniors and $19.5 million for persons with disabilities, to develop up to 1,000 new affordable rental housing units, which will help to stimulate local economies in smaller communities across B.C. Under the terms of the agreement, the provincial and federal governments will provide matching contributions of $61.79 million.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on the Government of Canada’s commitment in 2008 of more than $1.9 billion, over the next five years, to improve and build new affordable housing and help the homeless. It provides a total of $475 million, over two years, to build new rental housing, including $400 million for housing for low-income seniors and $75 million for housing for persons with disabilities. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.
The Province of British Columbia’s $14-billion capital infrastructure program is creating up to 88,000 jobs, helping to build vital public infrastructure in every region of the province and stimulating local economies across B.C.
