Chamberlain Celebrates Completion of Community Infrastructure Projects

• Backgrounder

Chamberlain, Ontario, February 2, 2010 – Brian Jean, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities; David Ramsay, Member of Provincial Parliament for Timiskaming–Cochrane; and William Dickinson, Reeve of the Township of Chamberlain, today celebrated the official opening of the $300,000 public works garage and improvements to Wawbewawa Road of close to $150,000 in the Township of Chamberlain. This partnership between all three levels of government towards municipal initiatives will help create jobs and stimulate the economy.

“The new public works garage will greatly improve municipal operations, while the newly surfaced Wawbewawa Road will improve the safety of commuters to the great benefit of those who live and work here,” said Parliamentary Secretary Jean. “As we enter the second phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our government’s priority will be to continue its rapid implementation of projects and look ahead to future challenges, so that we can continue to build a strong foundation for our economic future.”

“We're creating jobs for families and making our communities stronger by investing in infrastructure across Ontario,” said MPP Ramsay. “These projects not only boost our local economy but help our communities meet their high priority infrastructure needs.”

“It is investments such as these by the two senior levels of government in tandem with the municipal governments for local infrastructure projects that build the foundation for a bright and better future at the local level and also at the regional level,” said Reeve Dickinson.

“It is investments for local infrastructure projects such as these, by the two senior levels of government in tandem with the municipal government, that build the foundation for a bright and better future at the local level, and also at the regional level,” said Reeve Dickinson.

The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $148,300 toward these two projects. The Township of Chamberlain will contribute the balance of the total eligible costs of up to $444,900. 

These projects are among more than 2,400 moving forward throughout Ontario thanks to a total joint federal and provincial investment of more than $3.3 billion in infrastructure stimulus funding. During these challenging economic times, the governments of Canada and Ontario have taken steps to get shovels in the ground and funding into targeted infrastructure projects across the province.

For additional details on these projects, please refer to the backgrounder.

Contacts:

James Kusie
Office of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700

Amy Tang
Office of the Honourable Brad Duguid
416-327-6747

Barb Cook
Office of Reeve Dickinson
705-544-8088

Backgrounder
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COMPLETED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF CHAMBERLAIN

INFRASTRUCTURE STIMULUS FUND
PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE

This project involved the construction of a new, three-bay, public works garage, including a work area for machinery repairs and storage for tools. There is also an area for the Office for the Road’s Superintendent, which could double as the township’s alternate Emergency Operations Centre in the event of an emergency. Construction of the garage was completed in December 2009 and the township began moving in various maintenance vehicles and other equipment in early January 2010.

The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $100,000 for this project. The Township of Chamberlain will contribute the balance of the total eligible costs of up to $300,000 for the project. 

Federal financial support for the public works garage is being provided through the $4-billion, Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which provides funding to provincial, territorial, municipal and community construction-ready infrastructure projects that can be completed by March 31, 2011. The contribution from the government of Ontario will be from the two-year, $32.5 billion infrastructure commitment laid out in the 2009 Ontario Budget - Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future.

BUILDING CANADA FUND – COMMUNITIES COMPONENT
IMPROVEMENTS TO WAWBEWAWA ROAD

This project involved resurfacing 4.2 kilometres of Wawbewawa Road, the main township throughway. Work included the replacement of some culverts, adding gravel as required to build up the road, and surface treating with hard top.  This hard topping will extend the life of the road, make it safer for drivers, and help the township save maintenance and fuel costs.

The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $48,300 for this project. The Township of Chamberlain will contribute the balance of the total eligible costs of up to $144,900 for the project. 

Federal financial support for the improvements to Wawbewawa Road is being provided through the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund, which provides infrastructure funding to projects in communities with populations of less than 100,000, as per the 2006 Census. The contribution from the government of Ontario will be from the two-year, $32.5 billion infrastructure commitment laid out in the 2009 Ontario Budget - Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future.