TORONTO - The federal government's new long-term infrastructure plan must provide secure, predictable funding for rural municipalities, said Federation of Canadian Municipalities' board member Clark Somerville, to delegates gathered today in Toronto for the 2013 Combined Conference of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA).
"Predictable funding is key for good planning, but it is also essential for Canada's long-term economic prosperity," said Somerville. "Without predictable and long-term funding partnerships, it is impossible for rural municipalities to maintain infrastructure that is used not only by rural citizens, but also by the industries operating in rural Canada that form the backbone of our economy and contribute to over 50% of Canada's exports."
Like larger cities, rural communities need a full range of public infrastructure, from roads and water supply networks to libraries and community centres, to protect their quality of life and foster new economic development. With secure, predictable funding, municipalities will be able to budget efficiently and develop long-term repair and replacement plans for aging infrastructure such as roads and bridges, water and wastewater facilities.
"Rural Ontario's contribution is vital to our national economy," said Somerville. "To secure Canada's long-term economic growth, we need rural Ontario communities to have the infrastructure and services to support growing businesses and working families, and compete globally."
The federal government has committed to have the long-term plan in place before current federal infrastructure funding programs expire in March 2014. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) says Canada needs a twenty year plan with predictable funding to fix its crumbling infrastructure. FCM is proposing new investment through predictable programs that will ensure matching provincial and municipal dollars, cut red tape and further leverage private sector investment.
In addition to the ROMA/OGRA conference, FCM is taking part this week to the annual meeting of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, where it will speak to the importance of long-term, predictable infrastructure funding for rural communities.
