Caledon invests gas tax funds in local infrastructure

The Town of Caledon is investing millions of dollars from federal gas tax funding into local infrastructure projects.  In 2016 alone over $2.3 million was spent to repair bridges, fix sidewalks and restore roads. 

It’s good to know that when you fill up your gas tank, a portion of that money is helping to fund critical infrastructure, like roads and bridges, in our Town” said Mayor Allan Thompson.  “I want to thank and recognize the efforts of our (AMO) municipal partners for a successful advocacy campaign which resulted in this funding.” 

“Federal Gas Tax funding has become an important and sustainable funding source to supplement the Town’s spending on repair and renewal of aging infrastructure,” said Fuwing Wong, General Manager of Finance and Infrastructure Services for the Town of Caledon.  “An infrastructure funding deficit still exists in Caledon so it is important that this and other funding from the federal and provincial governments continue in the future.” 

Since the program was established in 2005, the Town of Caledon has leveraged nearly $30 million of federal Gas Tax funding to support infrastructure and capacity-building projects across the Town. 

The Town currently receives approximately $3.3 million in federal Gas Tax funds annually.  In recent years the federal Gas Tax funding, combined with tax-based capital funding, has been allocated to capital projects such as: 

• Repairs/reconstruction of bridges on Kennedy Road, Credit Road, Winston Churchill Road and McLaren Road;
• Road rehabilitation and reconstruction on:
  • Woodrow Avenue between Kingsview Drive and Hersey Crescent
  • Harvest Moon Drive Roundabout
  • Shaws Creek Road between Charleston to High Point Side Road
  • Healey Road between Centreville Creek to the Gore Road
  • Mount Hope Road between Old Church Road to Cedar Meadows Lane, and
  • Church Street between Wallace Avenue and Highway 50.

About the Federal Gas Tax Fund

The federal Gas Tax Fund transfers $2.1 billion per year in federal funding to Canadian municipalities. It is a permanent, predictable and stable source of funding for local infrastructure. Funds can be invested in projects where economic, environmental or community benefits can be demonstrated. 

Gas Tax funds can also be invested in capacity-building projects that support municipal asset management. Funding from the federal Gas Tax Fund allows local councils to identify and fund local priority projects and plan for the long term.

For more information, visit gastaxatwork.ca.

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Media Contact:

Strategic Initiatives | Communications
905.584.2272 | communications@caledon.ca

Attachments

• MR-2017-059 Caledon invests gas tax funds in local infrastructure (pdf)