The Ontario government is investing $400 million in critical infrastructure for small, rural and northern communities. The funding is being delivered through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) in 2023 and will support economic growth and job creation in 425 communities across Ontario.
OCIF provides funding to eligible communities every year to help them renew and rehabilitate critical infrastructure, including:
- Roads
- Bridges
- Water and wastewater projects
News Ontario states that the OCIF supports local infrastructure projects by providing stable and predictable funding for communities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern communities.
"Ontario's small, rural and northern communities are essential to the growth and prosperity of the province. As part of our plan to build Ontario, our government is continuing to provide stable funding to meet local infrastructure needs and provide support in response to pressures from inflation. By supporting key community infrastructure projects, we are helping communities attract jobs and build local capacity to grow and thrive for generations to come."
Minister of Infrastructure | Kinga Surma
In December 2021, the Ontario government announced an additional $1 billion for critical infrastructure projects that support economic growth and job creation in small, rural and northern communities, bringing the government's total investment to nearly $2 billion dollars over five years.
Funding allocations are based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities.
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Communities may accumulate their funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.
Capital expenditures on core infrastructure projects (such as roads, bridges, water and wastewater, including sanitary and stormwater facilities) that are part of an asset management plan are eligible, including:
- Capital construction of new core infrastructure to be owned by the recipient that addresses an existing health or safety issue.
- Capital maintenance for the renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of core infrastructure owned by the recipient.
- Debt-financing charges specifically associated with the capital construction and maintenance of core infrastructure.
The size of grants is determined by the estimated current replacement values for core infrastructure owned by municipalities, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater and by the municipality's economic conditions.
