The Town of Minto will receive a share of more than $6.8 million in funding to support improvements to critical infrastructure in western Ontario rural communities, announced by the Ministry of Rural Affairs on July 15 .
The province is supporting the improvements through the Municipal Infrastructure Strategy, which is providing $90 million over three years to help municipalities build and maintain key infrastructure.
Minto’s funding will go toward reconstruction of a culvert on the 16th Line near Drew. At the July 16 council meeting, treasurer Gordon Duff said the town will receive $573,000. White said the funding will cover about 90 per cent of project costs.
Other projects receiving funding include:
– replacing the Proud Bridge with a new two lane bridge in Arran-Elderslie;
– reconstructing roads and replacing sanitary storm sewers in South Bruce Peninsula;
– replacing a bridge and installing a guide rail in South Huron;
– building a firefighting storage facility in Middlesex Centre;
– implementing secondary disinfection in the drinking water; system in Southwest Middlesex
– updating municipal water treatment system in Southwest Middlesex; and
– replacing the E-5 Bridge in North Perth.
Building on the Municipal Infrastructure Strategy, the province is providing an additional $100 million to help small and rural municipalities build and maintain roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure. A consultation involving local and regional rural officials was held in Goderich July 15 to discuss the fund’s scope and design.
“Small communities have unique and diverse infrastructure needs. Working together, our government is helping rural municipalities with vital infrastructure investments that create jobs and keep communities moving,” stated Jeff Leal, Minister of Rural Affairs
Minto council also learned at the July 16 meeting that “a signficant issue” with a bridge on the 3rd Line was uncovered during a recent inspection by Triton Engineering. Public works director Brian Hansen said a half-load restriction was immediately placed on the bridge and council authorized a maxium five tonne load restriction at the meeting.
A 2011 assessment listed the cost of replacing the bridge at $235,000.
