PRINCE GEORGE, British Columbia – The federal and provincial
governments are investing $2 million to repair and upgrade Prince George’s
Cameron Street Bridge, improving access for pedestrians and cyclists. The
Honourable Jay Hill, MP for Prince George-Peace River, and Shirley Bond,
Deputy Premier and MLA for Prince George-Mount Robson, announced the
contribution from the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
(CBCMRIF) today.
“Reopening the Cameron Street Bridge will reduce congestion, and
reduce fuel consumption and gas emissions for Prince George’s industry
and community traffic,” said MP Hill on behalf of the Honourable
Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada,
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic
Diversification. “Through collaboration and partnership, the Canada-B.C.
Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is building a healthier and more
prosperous community in Prince George.”
The
funding enables the City of Prince George to replace sections of the
timber-truss bridge, which was closed in late 2005. The project
will see construction of a new superstructure, rehabilitation of existing
supports and upgraded bridge approaches. The bridge will include two
lanes for traffic, shoulders on both sides, and a two metre-wide sidewalk
for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. This project is conditionally approved
pending the completion of an environmental assessment.
“Through this partnership between all levels of government, we
will see this 75-year-old bridge repaired and reopened,” said Bond. “The
new, improved bridge will mean new options for walkers, cyclists and
other commuters, and reduced traffic through residential zones.”
Under the initial CBCMRIF
Agreement signed in June 2006, the federal and provincial governments
each committed $51 million to the fund, with participating local governments
expected to make up the remaining costs. This year, Canada’s
New Government and the Province of B.C. have each provided an additional
$23.5 million to the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
as part of their commitment to help smaller communities meet their
pressing infrastructure needs. This additional funding brings
the total federal and provincial investment and matching local government
contribution in CBCMRIF projects to over $220 million.
The majority of the funding is targeted towards communities of fewer
than 250,000 people and at least 60 per cent of the funding will assist
with “green projects” such as drinking water supply, treatment
and distribution needs as well as wastewater and energy efficiency projects.
The remaining funds will be dedicated to other projects like tourism,
recreation and other infrastructure.
More details on the program are available through the Canada-British
Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund website, at www.canadabcmrif.ca.
For additional information, contact:
Karl Yeh
Western Economic Diversification Canada
604 666-4714
Marc Black
B.C. Ministry of Community Services
250 356-6334
