On March 19, 2019, the Government of Canada released the 2019
Federal Budget. Contained in Chapter 2 under the heading
"Building Strong Communities," the Government of Canada
announced a "one-time top-up" of $2.2 billion dollars to
support municipal infrastructure projects.
This one-time transfer through the federal Gas Tax Fund is
intended to address short-term priorities in municipalities and
First Nation communities. Eligible projects for this funding
include local roads and bridges, highways, public transit and
short-line rail, as well as clean environment initiatives and
recreation, culture and tourism priorities.
Unlike a previous announcement in March 2018, which saw a
commitment of $11.8 billion of federal money to support provincial
infrastructure projects over the next 10 years, this money will
bypass provincial governments to flow directly to municipalities.
Moreover, this cash injection is slated to take place immediately:
it is budgeted for fiscal
