The NWT has received $17.25 million in federal funding for the 2021–22 fiscal year, along with a top-up of $16.5 million to carry out infrastructure projects across the territory.
This top-up doubles the amount of money that NWT communities received through the program in 2020-21 through the Canada Community-Building Fund.
Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Shane Thompson says the funding provides support to NWT communities and the opportunity to respond to the critical infrastructure needs of each community.
“These allocations combined with the one time top-up will allow for significant improvements to community infrastructure in all of our communities,” he adds.
Some of the funding has been used for things like helping Tuktoyaktuk improve its arena to support a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of all ages.
Yellowknife and Fort Smith have also been able to continue their efforts to replace aging wastewater infrastructure, providing residents with safer and more reliable services.
NWT MP Michael McLeod says the doubling of the fund will improve the daily lives of people in the NWT, by allowing communities of all sizes to plan important infrastructure projects, while creating jobs and strengthening the economy.
“The flexibility of the categories allows communities to plan for the long-term as we work together through the impacts of the pandemic,” he adds.
The CCBF has 19 project eligibility categories, including capacity building, sport infrastructure and broadband.
Communities can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
