The provincial government has announced an investment of $400 million to help small, rural and northern communities renew and rehabilitate roads, bridges, water and wastewater projects.

The funding, which was announced on December 16, will be delivered in 2023 through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) and will be directed to 425 communities.

“Ontario’s small, rural and northern communities are essential to the growth and prosperity of the province,” said Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma. “Our government is continuing to provide stable funding to meet local infrastructure needs and provide support in response to pressures from inflation. By supporting key community infrastructure projects, we are helping communities attract jobs and build local capacity to grow and thrive for generations to come.”

OCIF provides funding of this nature to communities with populations under 100,000, along with all rural and northern communities annually.

Funding allocations are based on a formula that recognizes the different needs and economic conditions of communities.

Three municipalities each received maximum funding of $10 million: Chatham-Kent, Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

In 2022, the government provided $400 million in funding through OCIF, an increase of $200 million from the previous year. Communities may accumulate their funding for up to five years to address larger infrastructure projects.