Speech by Rick Norlock

April 21, 2006

Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund Intake Two Province-wide Announcement and Investment in the Municipality of Port Hope and the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand

Thank you and good morning. Bonjour et merci.

It’s a great pleasure for me to be here today in Port Hope with Minister Dombrowsky, Lou Rinaldi, Port Hope’s own Mayor Rick Austin, and Mayor William Finley of the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand.

This morning, we are holding two province-wide announcements, this one and one in the City of Orillia with Tony Clement, the federal Minister responsible for the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, or COMRIF.  And our federal and provincial colleagues are spreading the good news right across the province this morning through several regional events and local news releases.

We've come together today to announce joint investments under COMRIF – after all, it's by working together that we can meet your needs and priorities.

Through Intake Two of this important program, I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada will invest over $117.8 million in 88 communities across Ontario.

Citizens depend on infrastructure everyday – whether it's the roads and bridges they travel, or the water and wastewater systems connected to their homes, schools or workplaces.

The federal government is committed to investing taxpayers' dollars in improvements that will benefit the everyday lives of Ontarians.

Today's investments, which were assessed based on a competitive, merit-based process, cover the full range of COMRIF Intake Two priorities, including improvements to provide clean, safe drinking water, better sewage systems, upgraded waste management processes, and safer roads and bridges.

These fundamental infrastructure upgrades represent crucial investments in our economic productivity and our quality of life.

And through COMRIF, we are delivering results you can see right across the province – building a stronger Ontario and a stronger Canada.

Locally, I am pleased to announce that the Government of Canada is investing over $4.9 million under the second intake of COMRIF to upgrade the Port Hope Water Pollution Control Plant.

These important upgrades incorporate energy-efficient measures that will help the municipality achieve its environmental objectives.

I am also pleased to announce that, in the Township of Alnwick/Haldimand, the Government of Canada is investing over $189,000 to replace Benlock Bridge.

The new structure will provide full highway loading with a width and railing that meet current regulations. It will also ensure school buses and emergency vehicles can continue to cross the bridge safely.

As a result of funding provided by the governments of Canada and Ontario under the first and second intakes, infrastructure improvements are being made through 208 projects to make Ontario's communities stronger, healthier and safer.

In total, the federal and provincial governments are each investing up to $298 million over five years under COMRIF to address local infrastructure needs and priorities in small urban and rural municipalities throughout the province.

Intake Three will be launched this spring. At that time, eligible municipalities will be informed of the priorities and application details.

Again, I am pleased to be here today and I congratulate all of the municipalities that are receiving funding in this intake, including Port Hope and Alnwick/Haldimand.

Thank you. Merci.