Ontario Investing $3.2M in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands

LANSDOWNE — The Ontario government is investing $3,286,172 in water infrastructure to help build approximately 610 new homes in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands. The funding is being delivered through the province’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF), a stream of the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP).

“Supporting the growth of our rural communities by helping municipalities with the infrastructure funding they need is vital to strengthening our local economy,” said Steve Clark, MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. “I commend the Leeds and the Thousand Islands staff and council for the strong application and vision to unlock new housing opportunities. I’m proud to be a strong advocate for these investments in Leeds and Grenville as our government continues its commitment to help get homes built.”

Leeds and the Thousand Islands will use the funding to build new treatment water storage and install pumping and water mains. This project will help unlock more housing opportunities and support economic growth in the local community.

“We have worked diligently to develop comprehensive plans that support both our current and future water system capacity. It is truly exciting to be selected as a recipient of this critical infrastructure funding,” said Mayor Corinna Smith-Gatcke of the Township Ontatioof Leeds and the Thousand Islands. “We are deeply grateful to the provincial government and to our MPP, Steve Clark, for their strong advocacy and support of our Lansdowne water project.”

The MHIP is part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario and includes historic investments in housing- and community-enabling infrastructure that will help municipalities deliver the core infrastructure needed, such as roads and water systems, to lay the foundation for new homes in communities across the province.

“In the face of economic uncertainty, our government is investing in the future for the people of Ontario by doubling down on our plan to build,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “With our additional investments in the MHIP, we’re unlocking more housing and building critical infrastructure that will protect communities, keep workers on the job and lay the groundwork for a stronger economy.”

This round of funding brings the total number of homes enabled in Ontario through the MHIP to about 800,000. Investing in local infrastructure is part of the province’s more than $200 billion capital plan to build and improve transit, highways, hospitals, schools and other critical public infrastructure, while strengthening the economy for the future.

QUICK FACTS

• The MHIP is currently comprised of four funding streams: the HEWSF stream, the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing (HECS) Stream, the Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS), and the Agriculture and Irrigation Stream. HEWSF was recently consolidated as a funding stream under the MHIP to improve the delivery of the province’s infrastructure funding programs.
• Municipalities can also access $1 billion in flexible loans for housing-enabling water infrastructure projects through the Infrastructure Ontario Loan Program.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Ontario Getting Homes and Infrastructure Built Faster and Smarter
• Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program
• Ontario Builds: our infrastructure plan