mayor steve blackAs part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history, the province is committing $15 million annually to a new Connecting Links program, which will help municipalities pay the construction and repair costs for connecting links – municipal roads that connect communities to provincial highways and border crossings.

While some may choose to be satisfied the Connecting Link program is being re-instated, Mayor Steve Black of Timmins isn’t.

In a release, Mayor Black says “The government clearly has a lack of understanding when it comes to the challenges it has created when it abandoned the 90% funding it used to contribute just a few years ago.”

“Sure this amount is good news compared to where we were yesterday, but it falls far short from where we need to be! This funding will barely cover the patch work that needs to be done across the Connecting Link on an annual basis and will fall significantly short from the costs of the major reconstruction work required in the coming years.”

There are about 350 kilometres of roads and 70 bridges along connecting links in 77 municipalities across Ontario, and the province will consult with key municipalities to ensure the new program meets their unique needs.

The program will be designed to complement the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, which provides small, rural and northern communities with funding to build and repair critical infrastructure.

Mayor Black points out that while $15-million is being put in annually, the province is spending over $16-billion on infrastructure in the GTHA over the next 10 years.

“Clearly the Province is continuing to operate under a policy of cutting or short-changing those of us from outside the GTHA to fund the GTHA,” he added, “We have seen it over the years, they cut our provincial parks, they cut ONTC, and Connecting Links. Then, they turnaround and give us a piece of what we had back and expect us to celebrate.”

He goes on to state that “enough is enough with cuts to the North and Rural Ontario so that the GTHA can grow and prosper.”

“$15 million annually could be used almost exclusively in Timmins. Instead it needs to be split to service the needs of 77 municipalities and their Connecting Links. We know, here in Timmins our Connecting Link reconstruction will likely cost in the range of $50-$70-million dollars.”

“I can’t understand how our share of the $15 million annual amount for all municipalities is going to address our challenges ahead for a highway that used to be funded 90% by the province.  In addition, over $60M in funding was removed from the Connecting Link program, when previous funding of this program was terminated in 2012. There is no mention of transition funding to make up for the four years this program was not funded.

“While I was on a tour of Union Station at the annual Ontario Good Roads Conference earlier this year, one of the managers told those of us on the tour that we had our work cut out for us as all the funding was flowing into Toronto. This announcement today shows how true those words were,” stated Mayor Black.

“Hopefully the 77 municipalities that have Connecting Links funding will continue to pressure the Province to reinstating the 90% funding of all repairs.”

On April 16, 2015, Ontario moved ahead with its plan to unlock the value of certain public assets.

This will provide the province with approximately $4 billion to build new transit and other priority infrastructure projects through Moving Ontario Forward.

Investing more than $130 billion over 10 years in public infrastructure ­- the largest infrastructure investment in the province’s history – is part of the government’s plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people’s talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

Quick Facts

  • The government’s Moving Ontario Forward plan will make $31.5 billion available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province and is expected to support over 20,000 jobs per year, on average, in construction and related industries.
  • Under Moving Ontario Forward, around $16 billion is being allocated to transit and transportation projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), and about $15 billion available for investment in roads, bridges, transit and other critical infrastructure in the rest of the province.

Funding for the new Connecting Link program is expected to begin in Spring 2016.