Gas Tax Fund: Results for Canadians
Permanent, flexible funding for municipalities

Building Infrastructure in British Columbia

The Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is the largest component of the Building Canada plan – the Government of Canada’s $33-billion long-term infrastructure initiative.

The GTF targets exclusively municipal infrastructure to improve water and air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The GTF combines stable, long-term funding with local decision making to enable Canadian municipalities to revitalize and develop their core public infrastructure. Budget 2008 made the GTF a permanent federal program at $2 billion a year starting in 2014.

Since its launch, the GTF has delivered $1.1 billion to the provinces and territories resulting in more than 2,234 projects across the country with an estimated value of $3 billion. More than 85 percent of national GTF investments have focused on the renewal of existing infrastructure, with the three largest investment areas being water/wastewater, public transit, and local roads and bridges. Other eligible investment areas include solid waste management, community energy systems and capacity building.

Local governments in British Columbia will receive $635.6 million in Gas Tax funding by 2010. By 2007, the province had received $152.5 million, much of which went into public transit, mainly in the Greater Vancouver Regional District which used $139 million to purchase 199 buses. The expanded and more energy-efficient bus fleet means cleaner air and more options for commuters.

The Sunshine Coast Regional District used its Gas Tax funding to convert landfill gas to electricity. Benefits include reduced environmental impacts, improved operating efficiency, reduced pre-treatment of landfill gas and lower maintenance costs. The Sunshine Coast Regional District is the first local government in Canada to apply this innovative environmental technology at a landfill site.

The City of Kamloops will use its $3.34 million in Gas Tax funding to buy 23,500 curb-side recycling containers and 12 split-body collection trucks that can simultaneously pick up solid waste and recyclables. The project is expected to reduce landfill by 3,000 tonnes per year and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions through the use of the more efficient trucks.

These projects help British Columbia achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent by 2020.