Main photo: Minister of Infrastructure, Laurie Scott, announces funding for Parry Sound-Muskoka with Premier Doug Ford and MPP Norm Miller
From the office of MPP Norm Miller
Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund invests $5.8 Million in infrastructure projects in Parry Sound-Muskoka
The Ontario government is making another investment in small, rural and northern communities. Through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), Ontario continues to support municipalities as they build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure.
Today Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Infrastructure Laurie Scott joined MPP Norman Miller in Parry Sound to announce that this year Parry Sound-Muskoka will receive more than $5.8 million across 26 municipalities to address their local community infrastructure needs.
“I know that small municipalities like those in Parry Sound-Muskoka face challenges in maintaining their essential infrastructure so I am pleased to announce this funding,” said Miller. “This money will help build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater infrastructure in our communities which will in turn improve safety for residents and help our communities attract both people and businesses.”
Total investment in communities across Parry Sound-Muskoka are as follows:
| Municipality | OCIF Allocation for 2020 |
| Township of Carling | $50,000.00 |
| Township of Joly | $50,000.00 |
| Township of Machar | $50,000.00 |
| Township of McMurrich-Monteith | $50,000.00 |
| Township of Perry | $50,000.00 |
| Township of Ryerson | $50,000.00 |
| Village of South River | $50,000.00 |
| Municipality of Whitestone | $50,000.00 |
| Township of McKellar | $54,514.00 |
| Township of Georgian Bay | $61,249.00 |
| Municipality of Magnetawan | $68,261.00 |
| Village of Sundridge | $73,322.00 |
| Township of Strong | $78,626.00 |
| Town of Kearney | $86,630.00 |
| Township of Armour | $87,003.00 |
| Township of Lake of Bays | $87,640.00 |
| Town of Gravenhurst | $110,245.00 |
| Township of the Archipelago | $111,775.00 |
| Village of Burk’s Falls | $130,463.00 |
| Municipality of McDougall | $149,179.00 |
| Township of Seguin | $162,321.00 |
| Township of Muskoka Lakes | $196,177.00 |
| Town of Bracebridge | $246,774.00 |
| Town of Huntsville | $337,498.00 |
| Town of Parry Sound | $746,185.00 |
| District of Muskoka | $2,616,152.00 |
| Total | $5,804,014.00 |
This funding is a part of Ontario’s approximately $200 million commitment to 424 communities addressing their core infrastructure projects and asset management planning needs in 2020.
“This investment provides the predictable and stable infrastructure funding small, rural and northern municipalities have asked for,” said Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure. “With this OCIF funding we are working directly with our municipal partners to deliver community infrastructure.”
Recognizing that municipalities have different infrastructure needs, the province uses a straightforward and transparent formula that examines various social and economic factors to determine funding allocations across the province.
The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund provides stable and predictable funding for communities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern communities. Approximately $200 million in formula-based funding was allocated to small, rural and northern communities for 2019. Municipalities may accumulate their formula funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.
Ontario also provides funding to communities through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), a $30-billion, 10-year infrastructure program cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments. Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33.33 per cent, or $10.2 billion spread across four streams: Rural and Northern, Public Transit, Green, and Community, Culture and Recreation.
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Maybe that’s the cash that’s needed to fix the road to Doug Ford’s cottage? LOL
As water and wastewater are essentially District responsibilities (please note their share of the pie); the Town could either invest in roads, bridges, or a combination. I would suggest that they check their Bridge Needs Study to see if safety concerns warrant work on any particular structure. If not, they could use these monies toward the streetscaping project; and invest the money saved from that project in a liquid, 5-year bridge fund. Bridges are always the last infrastructure to receive attention; and with the District responsible for all the major bridges (i.e. the ones on District roads); a considerable amount of remedial work could be done on the neediest grade separations.
Regarding the ICIP, I feel that Lyft should replace our present pastiche of public transit: Uber could compete in an RFP (only if they have accessible service). For green energy, only a pilot project to study carbon extraction from the atmosphere has sufficient merit at this time.
Now, seriously.In Poland, it is not the Polish Prime Minister or the Polish President who determines what financial grants (subsidy) will be received by local governments in particular voivodships (districts), but the Sejm (Polish Parliament).A general subsidy reserve is introduced. Such a solution makes the disposal of funds from the state budget by voivodeship (districts) governments more flexible. Payments to the state budget are made by the voivodeship (districts), whose tax revenue exceeds 125% of the average national tax revenue per capita.No one has ever heard of such subsidies being distributed by the Polish Prime Minister according to his will and discretion.
This money is a drop in the ocean of our town’s needs.The provincial authorities treat us like a fifth wheel in a farm wagon.This amount is less than the required deposit when you buy an old collapsing house in Toronto.What can you do with such cash?. Prepare a party for a few tens of thousands of people and spend them all on vodka and snacks as they used to say in my homeland.