Canada's Economic Action Plan:
Immediate Action to Build Infrastructure

As a result of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the amount of federal funding available to provinces, territories and municipalities for infrastructure projects will hit more than $18 billion over the next two years.

There are two key benefits to investing in infrastructure like, roads, bridges, clean water, transit, green energy, and recreational facilities such as arenas and soccer fields. First, it will provide timely economic stimulus and create jobs across Canada in the construction, engineering and manufacturing sectors as well as generating significant economic spinoff activity.

Second, these investments will provide Canada with a more modern and greener infrastructure that is the foundation of sustainable long-run economic growth and improve the quality of life of Canadians.

The new funding will support shovel-ready projects that can start over the next two construction seasons including roads, sewers, public transit, broadband internet access, and border crossings.

The Government is also accelerating existing funding to help get even more projects started in the next two construction seasons. The Government has already taken action to cut red tape and speed up project approvals to flow money faster from our historic $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan announced in November 2007. For more information, please visit Accelerating Infrastructure: Speeding Up Project Funding and Accelerating Infrastructure – Cutting Red Tape: Less Duplication, More Cooperation.

Canada's Economic Action Plan includes infrastructure investments such as:

• A two-year $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund that will provide funding to renew infrastructure.
• A new $1-billion Green Infrastructure Fund to support projects like sustainable energy.
• Up to $1 billion in accelerated payments under the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund of Building Canada to expedite “ready-to-go” infrastructure projects.
• Up to $500 million over the next two years for infrastructure projects in small communities.

In addition, Canada's Economic Action Plan includes:

• $500 million over two years for the Recreational Infrastructure Canada initiative to support construction of new community recreational facilities and upgrades to existing facilities across Canada.
• Up to $2 billion for repairs, maintenance, and construction at post-secondary institutions.
• $2 billion in direct, low-cost loans through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to municipalities to invest in housing-related municipal infrastructure.
• $515 million over two years to accelerate “ready-to-go” First Nations infrastructure projects in three priority areas: schools, water and critical community services.
• $225 million to develop and implement a strategy on extending broadband coverage to currently unserved communities.
• $750 million to the Canada Foundation for Innovation for research equipment and facilities at post-secondary institutions.
• $50 million to the Institute for Quantum Computing in Waterloo, Ont. for the construction of a new world-class research facility.
• $85 million over the next two years to invest in maintaining or upgrading key existing Arctic research facilities.
• $250 million over two years to address deferred maintenance at federal laboratories.
• $500 million to Canada Health Infoway to support the goal of having 50 per cent of Canadians with an electronic health record by 2010.
• $407 million to VIA Rail Canada to support improvements to passenger railways, particularly in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto corridors.
• $7.9 million for new capital projects of two First Nations railways: the Keewatin Railway in Manitoba and the Tshiuetin Rail Transportation in Quebec and Labrador.
• $72 million over five years to improve railway safety.
• $130 million to Parks Canada for twinning the Trans-Canada Highway through the Banff National park.
• $212 million to rehabilitate the Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Canada's busiest bridge.
• up to $14.5 million for two bridges at two of the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossings: the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia and the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie.
• up to $42 million for other federal bridges in need of rehabilitation throughout Canada.
• up to $200 million to dredge the approaches to key harbours and to accelerate the repair and maintenance of core commercial fishing harbours across Canada.
• $17 million to accelerate the construction of the Pangnirtung, Nunavut small-craft harbour.
• $20 million in each of two years to improve the accessibility of federally-owned buildings for Canadians with disabilities.
• $2 million to Public Works and Government Services to develop a plan for the future of the historic Manège Militaire in Quebec City, destroyed by fire in 2008.
• $245.5 million over the next two years to accelerate the cleanup of federal contaminated sites.
• $80 million over three years to modernize and expand border service facilities.
• $25 million for national recreation trails.
• See also Building Canada - Already at Work

The Government will be moving quickly to implement these new funding initiatives. These are just some of the many investments the Government is making through Canada's Economic Action Plan. For more information please visit the Budget Plan.