Building Canada Strong by investing in retrofits to the Cody Banks Arena

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, Sept. 15, 2026 /CNW/ -- Building a strong Canada starts with investing in the modern and reliable infrastructure that makes it possible to increase housing supply and create resilient communities.

The Build Communities Strong Fund is investing $51 billion in a wide range of infrastructure projects across the country that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation.

To that end, Parliamentary Secretary Sean Casey and Mayor Philip Brown announced a federal investment of more than $199,000 in the Cody Banks Arena retrofits project through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund

The project will upgrade the facility by installing heat pumps and a solar photovoltaic system, which will be integrated into the City's existing building automation system.

These upgrades will reduce energy consumption and emissions while providing a more environmentally friendly space for community and recreational use.

Once it is underway, the project will support local community recreation infrastructure, economic development, and promote renewable energy adoption across the City of Charlottetown.

The Build Communities Strong Fund is a cornerstone of the Government of Canada's plan to build the infrastructure needed to build Canada strong – today and for generations to come. 

Quotes

"With the Build Communities Strong Fund, the Government of Canada is building infrastructure that Canadians rely on every day. The Cody Banks Arena is an important hub that has hosted community and recreational events for thousands of Islanders. Today's investment in retrofits to the facility will support the local economy and create more fond memories for generations to come."
Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Charlottetown

"This investment supports the goals and actions of our Climate Action Plan by helping us reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in City facilities, while breathing new life into an important piece of community recreation infrastructure. By investing in renewable energy and modern, energy-efficient systems at Cody Banks Arena, we're extending the life of the facility and ensuring it can continue to serve our community in a more sustainable way for years to come. We're grateful to the Government of Canada for supporting this important work."
His Worship Philip Brown, Mayor of Charlottetown

Quick Facts

• The federal government is investing $199,500 in this project through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund and the City of Charlottetown is contributing more than $299,000.
• Starting in 2026-27, the Build Communities Strong Fund will deliver funding through three major streams:
  • A Provincial and Territorial stream, which provides $17.2 billion over 10 years, including $5 billion in health infrastructure funding over three years;
  • A Direct Delivery stream, which provides $6 billion over 10 years, including $1 billion over 4 years as part of a Local Impact Stream that is being delivered by Canada's Regional Development Agencies to support community infrastructure projects with local impact; and,
  • A Community stream (formerly the Canada Community-Building Fund), which provides $27.8 billion over 10 years and, indexed at 2% to deliver $3 billion per year ongoing.
• The Buy Canadian Policy is an important part of the Build Communities Strong Fund. It will help ensure that more of every public dollar goes right into the Canadian economy – creating Canadian careers, using Canadian resources, and benefiting Canadian communities.
• The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding that will be matched by nearly $17 billion from provinces, and additional billions leveraged through municipal and territorial partnerships as well as private capital. The fund will also boost Canada's GDP by $95 billion over the next decade. 
• Under the Direct Delivery stream, at least 10% of the funding will go towards investments in Indigenous communities.
• Project funding is subject to the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the recipient.
• Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling requirements, including those related to consultation with Indigenous peoples and environmental assessment obligations, if applicable.

Associated Links

• Build Communities Strong Fund
• Prime Minister Carney launches the Build Communities Strong Fund and announces the first tranche of projects
• Prime Minister Carney shares Budget 2025 plan to build communities strong

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts, For more information (media only), please contact: Arianna Durgerian, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Jessica Bradley, Senior Communications Officer, City of Charlottetown, Cell: 902-388-7799, [email protected]; Media, Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]