City Of Winnipeg: Municipal Infrastructure

Infrastructure Fund Dept: The economic strategy promises to boost immigration, increase support to local governments, cut red tape for business owners and maintain plans to build the Keeyask and Conawapa hydroelectric dams. PC pledge to local governments: create a five-year, $375-million investment fund to which municipalities could apply to finance infrastructure projects of their choice; provide $40 million over four years to the City of Winnipeg to pave 384 back lanes; maintain current annual funding support to the City of Winnipeg over a four-year period; support the City of Winnipeg's preference to focus on the removal of phosphorus from wastewater --- as opposed to both phosphorus and nitrogen -- saving $350 million; fund one-third the cost of the Plessis Road twinning and underpass and support "a new convention centre"; support the existing 2011-2015 provincial highway renewal plan; commit to discussing a new long-term funding model with municipalities to address their infrastructure needs, according to Winnipeg Free Press. What's unusual is the fact it was released this week -- days before the election campaign has officially begun and conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen promised to help pave Winnipeg back lanes and establish a $375-million municipal infrastructure fund as he released a 29-page economic plan on Wednesday that had the feel of a provincial budget speech. As the Free Press reported on Monday, the party aims to balance the provincial books by 2018 -- four years later than the timetable proposed by the NDP. It bases that estimate on the premise that the Selinger government is hiding unpleasant facts about the nature of the province's finances -- and on an unwillingness to raise taxes or cut front-line services. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.