Communities across Canada receive support for infrastructure planning and green innovation

OTTAWA  - Investing in innovative municipal infrastructure projects contributes to a clean growth economy and strengthens the middle class by ensuring communities are healthy and sustainable places to live.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Jenny Gerbasi, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) announced over $3 million in funding for 50 new initiatives in communities across Canada through two programs: the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) and the Green Municipal Fund (GMF).

The Government of Canada believes that local leaders know best what their communities need and is committed to working with them to strengthen their infrastructure. Municipalities are implementing some of Canada's most advanced green solutions, reducing Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and supporting local priorities such as improving public transit, saving energy and improving waste management.

The projects announced today demonstrate the work being done on these fronts in municipalities large and small. Examples include:

>The Regional District of North Okanagan, in British Columbia, is developing a new asset management investment plan. This plan will help the municipality ensure they have a solid understanding of the assets they own, their worth, the amount of investment needed to ensure sustainability, and the condition of assets at any given point in time. Planning like this helps local leaders make informed decisions on infrastructure spending.

 >In Nova Scotia, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is partnering with the private sector to study the feasibility of creating a district energy system. The system would provide an affordable, low-carbon supply of thermal energy for buildings along Sydney's waterfront and downtown core.