BRAMPTON, ON, Nov. 18, 2020 /CNW/ - The historic downtown core of Brampton will be better protected from flooding caused by extreme weather events as the Government of Canada invests to construct, rehabilitate and expand important public infrastructure.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton South; and Patrick Brown, Mayor of Brampton, announced improvements for the Downtown Brampton Flood Protection project.
By protecting properties and roadways from potential flood damage and creating more resiliency in Brampton's downtown, this project will help attract new investment, spur job creation and improve public spaces in the area.
Key elements of this project include widening a 600-metre concrete channel through downtown Brampton, replacing bridges and raising roadways. The current channel, built in 1952, will be widened and deepened to increase capacity levels in Etobicoke Creek, bridges in the project area will be replaced with larger span structures and elevated roadways will prevent flooding into urban areas.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $38.8 million through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). The City of Brampton is contributing over $58.2 million to the project.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is helping communities such as Brampton better manage the risks of disasters triggered by severe weather events and a changing climate. This important project will improve the resilience of 3,665 people across 31 hectares exposed to flooding in the downtown core. Through our Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, we're investing more than $38.8 million to help transform Brampton with flood protection that will protect residents, their households and local businesses."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"The Government of Canada is proud to partner with the City of Brampton for infrastructure enhancements made through the Downtown Brampton Flood protection project. The upgrades will not only protect our residents and business owners, it will also help with the revitalization and transformation of Brampton's downtown core."
Sonia Sidhu, Member of Parliament for Brampton South
"Brampton City Council is committed to unlocking the potential of downtown Brampton and being a Green City that is strong, resilient and sustainable. This is a much welcome announcement from the Government of Canada, as it will not only move us one step closer to realizing the transformational Riverwalk project, but will also revitalize our community and put Brampton on the map for its innovative and impactful solution to mitigating flood risk, generating development and creating jobs, and improving public space for all to enjoy."
Patrick Brown, Mayor of the City of Brampton
Quick facts
- The Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) is a $2-billion, 10-year program to help communities build the infrastructure they need to better withstand natural hazards such as floods, wildfires, earthquakes and droughts.
- To date, close to $1.9 billion has been announced through DMAF for 66 large-scale infrastructure projects that will help protect communities across the country from the threats of climate change.
- DMAF is part of the federal government's Investing in Canada plan, which is providing more than $180 billion over 12 years for public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities.
- To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
- The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects.
- The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to support communities as they deploy innovative new ways to adapt spaces and services to respond to immediate and ongoing needs arising from COVID-19 over the next two years.
Associated links
Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/dmaf-faac/index-eng.html
Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund projects in Ontario
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html#1.3
Investing in COVID-19 Community Resilience
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/covid-19-resilience-eng.html
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html
Investing in Canada plan project map
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; Megan Ball, Media Relations, City of Brampton, 905-874-2143, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, [email protected]
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