News Press Releases

Canada and FCM invest in asset management in New Brunswick communities

UTI | June 8, 2021

Canada NewsWire

OTTAWA, ON , June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - As we continue to adapt to the new physical, social, and economic realities presented by COVID-19, all orders of government are working together to ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians. This includes providing local communities with tools and support for evidence-based decision-making that will help them plan a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for everyone.

This is why the Government of Canada is investing $150,000 in three new projects in New Brunswick communities through the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government. The program helps municipalities strengthen local infrastructure planning and decision-making by increasing local asset management capacity through investments in activities such as asset management training, technology and software enhancements and information sharing.

With funding from MAMP:

The Rural Community of Saint-André will develop a database of its infrastructure assets such as water, sanitary sewers, roads and buildings. They will analyze risks related to climate change and the state of its assets and set short-term priorities.
The Village of Petit-Rocher will take inventory of its municipal assets, assess their condition and develop an asset management plan.
The Town of Saint-Léonard will improve its asset management plan by undertaking activities such as data collection, condition assessment of essential and valuable assets, and priority setting, planning and report preparation.

Quotes

"The three projects announced today ensure New Brunswick municipalities have the tools and technology necessary to make well-informed decisions for the long term. We're proud to invest in infrastructure asset management projects that will help communities grow their local economy and improve residents' quality of life."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Rural communities are the backbone of the Canadian economy and among the best places in Canada to call home. Smart investments in infrastructure help smaller communities to grow, strengthen their economies and improve quality of life for their residents. Through projects like those announced today, our government is helping to ensure that local leaders, especially those in rural areas, have the tools they need to plan for the long-term and creating stronger rural communities now and for generations to come."
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

"As the Member of Parliament for Madawaska - Restigouche , I am pleased to note the interest my municipalities have towards the Municipal Asset Management Program. Thanks to the FCM, funds will be distributed and accessible for all of our municipalities and specially, for our smaller ones. This program allows the analysis of assets and helps for the assessment of future needs; a management tool that will greatly facilitate the decision-making in future years. Congratulations to the municipalities benefiting the program."
Ren é Arseneault, Member of Parliament for Madawaska - Restigouche

"I'm so pleased that our government is able to provide this important funding to the Village of Petit-Rocher in my riding of Acadie-Bathurst. Collaborations with the Federation for Canadian Municipalities (FCM) continue to be a successful and practical solution for providing much-needed support directly to our small and rural municipalities. Through the Municipal Asset Management Program, Petit-Rocher has been empowered to collect the necessary data and ensure their asset management capacity into the future."
Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie-Bathurst

"Through the Municipal Asset Management Program, FCM continues to help municipalities of all sizes, especially small and rural, manage municipal infrastructure and make stronger investment decisions based on reliable data. FCM supports communities from coast to coast to coast by providing funding, training, and resources to develop sustainable solutions that work and improve the quality of life for residents."
Joanne Vanderheyden , President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Quick facts

The $110-million Municipal Asset Management Program , delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada , has invested in more than 962 municipal asset management projects.
MAMP offers funding, training, and resources to help municipalities strengthen their asset management practices thereby enabling them to make informed infrastructure investment decisions.
To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects in a variety of areas including disaster mitigation and adaptation projects and pandemic-resilient infrastructure.
Furthermore, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years.
The Government of Canada has invested more than $557 million in 308 infrastructure projects across New Brunswick under the Investing in Canada plan.
Since 2016, the federal government has invested $28 billion in over 18,000 infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000. More than 6,100 kilometres of highways and roads, and 103 bridges have been built, repaired or upgraded in rural communities, and more than 3,134 projects are providing rural communities with access to cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water.
The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is designed to provide municipalities with a stable and predictable source of funding. In 2020-21, New Brunswick has received more than $45 million through the federal GTF to fund its most pressing infrastructure needs.