This year's Federal Government budget is the first in two years and identifies focus areas of: COVID-19 relief programs, the economy, business resilience, affordable housing and infrastructure funding; however, The City awaits further detail on how much Federal funding Red Deer will receive in 2021.
“Direct Federal investment in municipalities will continue through the long-standing Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly known as Gas Tax Fund), with Red Deer expecting to receive approximately $6 million in one-time funding for local infrastructure needs,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “This is welcome news for Red Deer; however, we still need to analyze the budget and explore further funding opportunities we hope to leverage for our community.”
Canada Community-Building funding can be used for infrastructure upgrades such as road rehabilitation, transit and sport and recreation, to name a few.
“Municipalities are the most nimble order of government working to provide stability to business, residents and communities,” said City Manager Allan Seabrooke. “The Federal budget impacts us at a local level, setting the tone for future focus and determining what level of funding will be funneled to municipalities in response to local needs.”
The Federal Government also noted investments in economic growth across the country in a variety of sectors. In particular, $2.5 billion to build and repair 35,000 housing units for vulnerable Canadians, $1 billion of support towards the tourism sector for festivals and cultural events, additional supports for seniors and senior care, supports for our Indigenous community and a new Canada Recovery Hiring Program.
“The City will continue to watch for more details as they are announced to identify opportunities to leverage opportunities for our citizens, in particular, COVID-19 recovery for residents and business owners, affordable housing, transit, and other key programs for our community,” said Mayor Veer. “We will also watch for areas of potential challenge for our citizens, which may necessitate advocacy to the Federal Government.”
As details from today’s Federal budget are released, City officials will address each as they arise and as they affect The City of Red Deer and the community.
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
The City of Red Deer