In addition, $ 1.5 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) will help put in place the necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations, to operate this electric fleet.
Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, who made the announcement Thursday in Ottawa, recalled that Canada was a world leader in the manufacture of electric buses.
The minister cited the companies Nova Bus and Lion lectrique, respectively of Saint-Eustache and Saint-Jrme, Quebec, as well as NFI Group, of Winnipeg, and GreenPower Motor Co., of Vancouver.
The $ 2.75 billion is part of an investment announced last month by Prime Minister Trudeau. The federal government pledged to invest $ 14.9 billion over the next eight years in new public transit projects.
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Already, according to the minister, Infrastructure Canada has supported the purchase of more than 300 new zero-emission buses across the country. The government now wants to encourage municipalities to use the BIC to cover the additional costs associated with the charging network.
Announced last October, the CIB’s comprehensive infrastructure plan, from which the funds detailed on Thursday are drawn, totals $ 10 billion and will be spread over three years.
According to Minister McKenna, these investments will provide the momentum needed to modernize the public transit system and achieve the target of zero CO2 emissions by 2050.