The State of Canada's Cities and Communities 2012 - FCM

Chapter 2
Page 2
next two decades. These are not one-time stimulus
dollars; rather, these are core investments to
repair roads, house low-income seniors and keep
police patrolling our streets.
Recent federal-municipal investments:
• Building Canada Fund (application-based investments):
$1.2 billion per year (expires 2014)
• Permanent Gas Tax Fund: $2 billion per year
• Municipal GST Rebate: $800 million per year
• Affordable housing and homelessness programs:
$380 million per year (expires 2014)
• Public Transit Capital Trust: $300 million per
year (expired 2009)
The federal government has recognized that
it must deliver long-term extensions of these
critical investments. In November 2011, the
Government of Canada committed to work with
FCM alongside the provinces and territories, as
well as the private sector, to develop a new longterm
infrastructure plan (LTIP).
The job of building and maintaining Canada’s
core infrastructure remains a municipal responsibility;
however, turning around the decline in our
infrastructure is beyond the means of any government
working on its own. It requires national
leadership and a long-term partnership among
all governments. With these two factors in place,
we can secure the physical foundations of our
future, and stop the municipal infrastructure
deficit once and for all.