Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she liked what she saw in Tuesday’s federal budget – especially when it comes to funding for some major infrastructure projects in the Capital Region.
Helps said she’ll be looking to the federal government to cough up a major share of the sewage treatment plant or plants the region has been asked to build.
Estimated costs have now topped $1-billion as an end-of-March deadline looms for the Capital Regional District to choose a site for the treatment facility.
“It looks like our sewage project is safe with this new federal budget,” she said. “We were anxious about that, and it looks like they want to see that project finished.”
The government announced in the budget it would cover up to half the cost on infrastructure projects including wastewater systems instead of the traditional one-third.
“This federal government had to play some catch-up I think, after the last government, in terms of social infrastructure, green infrastructure, affordable housing, so it’s very good,” Helps said.
Ottawa has committed $11.9-billion over five years to modernize and upgrade infrastructure systems across the country.
Helps said the city will also be seeking some of that money for upgrades to the Belleville ferry terminal, even though the terminal wasn’t specifically mentioned in Tuesday’s budget.
“It’s shovel-ready, it’s an international terminal and it’s a renewal project,” said Helps. “It’s infrastructure that needs to be renewed, and that was really clearly stated in the federal budget.”
Work on upgrades to the terminal’s Black Ball Ferry and Clipper Navigation wharves got underway last fall and is expected to be finished by the end of 2017.
