This Week in Construction Law: March 29 – April 2, 2021

The Federal government announced $250 million over five years to help address the transit needs of Canadians living in rural, remote and  small communities. The Government of Canada is committed to working with these communities to develop rural transit solutions, and to providing the funding to make those solutions a reality. The new $250 million fund, part of the nearly $15 billion public transit investment announced last February by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, will help rural, remote and small towns build vibrant communities where people want to live, work and play.

In Alberta, the Federal and provincial governments announced funding to improve road safety and travel efficiency on Highway 15 and Highway 19. The funding announcement was made during a groundbreaking event for the Highway 19 project. The Government of Canada is contributing over $73 million to these two projects through the New Building Canada Fund—Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component—National and Regional Projects. The Province of Alberta is contributing over $114 million.

In British Columbia, the Federal and provincial governments announced funding for two public transit projects in Greater Victoria. The Government of Canada is investing more than $4.9 million, and the Government of British Columbia over $4.5 million in these two projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The recipients are contributing a combined total of over $1.9 million.

In Ontario, the Federal and provincial governments announced joint funding for three community and culture infrastructure projects in the City of Ottawa. The Government of Canada is investing more than $3.1 million toward these projects, with the Government of Ontario providing over $2.6 million through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The recipients are contributing more than $2.1 million total toward their respective projects.

In Ontario, the provincial government announced that all of Ontario will return to a lockdown-like state April 3 as the province responds to rising COVID-19 case counts and the threat of new virus variants. All 34 health units across Ontario will enter what the government has billed an “emergency brake shutdown” over the weekend, staying there for no less than 28 days. The change will force the province-wide closure of personal care services, indoor and outdoor dining and institute capacity limits on a range of businesses. Areas already in lockdown, such as Toronto and Peel, will see few changes. All construction, supporting services, including demolition and land surveying, however, will remain open. While previous iterations of the province’s shutdown frameworks barred certain construction segments from operating, the “emergency brake” includes no such restrictions.