More money for highways, housing and rec facilities says Ford

Premier Ford spoke at the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual general meeting this morning and promised upgrades to Highway 11 and more money for sports facilities, which could be good news for North Bay's planned new arena at Omischl Sports Complex,

See: New twin-pad arena report added to council agenda

Ford didn't give specifics for the highway improvement but said the 2024 budget recognizes the need to spend more in the public spaces that foster a strong sense of community and belonging.

Today applications to a new fund worth $200 million to help municipalities build and renew sports and recreational facilities opened.

"The Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund is now open," Ford announced.

"Municipalities, local services boards, and not-for-profit organizations can apply for up to 50 per cent of funding for projects, and Indigenous communities and organizations can apply for up to 90 per cent."

Starting today, applications are open to municipalities, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations and (for new builds only) for-profit organizations, through two streams:

Stream 1: Repairing and upgrading existing sports and recreation facilities into more accessible, state-of the art facilities that better meet the community’s needs. Eligible projects will receive between $150,000 and $1 million and must be completed within twenty-four months. The deadline to submit applications is October 29, 2024.

Stream 2: Building new and transformative sports and recreation facilities, including replacing existing facilities that have reached the end of their lifespan. Eligible projects will receive up to $10 million and must be completed no later than March 31, 2027. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until funding has been fully allocated.

More information about eligibility is available in the application guidelines.

"Participation in sport and recreation offers many benefits, and by extending the lifespan of local spaces and supporting the construction of new facilities, we’re ensuring that youth, seniors, families and all Ontarians will have the opportunity to stay active in their community for decades to come.," stated Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport.“

Ford also announced a new online tool developed by Invest Ontario that Ford says will help local and international investors better connect with municipalities.

"Through our new Partner Portal municipalities will be able to upload information about commercial and industrial properties in their communities and provide companies with information about the property including demographic trends, market analysis and First Nations treaty areas.

"It’s going to be a powerful resource to help local governments and communities attract investments and jobs."

Ford also talked about housing, saying a lack of housing-enabling infrastructure is the biggest barrier to getting more homes built.

The Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, a total of $970 million, will be distributed to 54 projects across 60 municipalities helping to build more than 500,000 homes, promised the Premier.