ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO

Today Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh, announced more than $4.62 million in federal funding to support twelve (12) public infrastructure projects in Tecumseh and across Essex County. 

The Town of Tecumseh will leverage $750,000 from the Community Revitalization Fund to proceed with the installation of a 2.4km recreational multi-use trail on the south side of Riverside Drive from the Tecumseh-Windsor border to Manning Road. This segment has been identified as critical in numerous Master Plans and studies, including the County-Wide Active Transportation Plan. The project will increase safety and security for pedestrians and cyclists by creating a physical separation between them and motorists.

This historic expansion of the Town’s active transportation network will also bridge the gap between Tecumseh and Windsor’s trail systems through a connection to Ganatchio Trail’s 20km network.

The Government of Canada recognizes that Canadian cities and towns flourish when they can incorporate health and wellness into their community public spaces and promote social interaction and physical activity. These amenities are integral to the overall well-being of individuals, families and communities. Our economic recovery is closely linked to the vitality of our local communities and their shared spaces.

Of this total funding, $2,250,000 is through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) and $2,371,987 through Infrastructure Canada’s COVID-19 Resilience Stream.

For the full list of local projects funded through both the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) and Infrastructure Canada’s COVID-19 Resilience program, please see backgrounders.

Quotes

“Partnering with forward-thinking municipalities like Tecumseh to expand multi-use trails, parks and public spaces helps build safer, greener, healthier and more accessible communities. This in turn will stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for all residents in Windsor-Essex.”

—Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor-Tecumseh

“We are grateful to the Government’s of Canada and Ontario for their contributions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and we thank them for their continued support as we work to keep our community safe. The more than $340,000 we received will go towards safety improvements at Town Hall and the implementation of an online payment system for our bulk water operations. We are also very excited for the $750,000 received for the Riverside Drive trail project. These funds will reduce the Town’s contribution to approximately $500,000 which allows us to move forward with the project this year. Detail design has begun and discussions with property owners and utility companies will be the next step with construction to commence in 2022.”

—Gary McNamara, Warden of Essex County and Mayor of Tecumseh

“The Town of Kingsville welcomes the support from Canada’s Covid-19 Resilience Stream helping us make big strides in the progress and development of our healthy community with healthy spaces. Kingsville’s Historic Lakeside Park is a community treasure and draws thousands of visits annually to its walking paths, trails and waterfront. Today’s announcement will allow Kingsville to strengthen its accessibility goals and provide for enhanced public use in support of mental and physical health during these pandemic times.”

―Nelson Santos, Mayor, Town of Kingsville

“The Municipality of Leamington is extremely grateful for the joint funding commitments from the COVID-19 Resilience Stream for an emergency generator at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre (NFFRC). The NFFRC is Leamington’s emergency evacuation centre, and the risk of not having backup power at our facility really came into focus during the pandemic when we hosted a COVID-19 testing centre for temporary foreign workers, and now house a mass vaccination clinic for the community. In the event of a power failure, neither of these crucial initiatives could proceed until power is restored, and in the event of a major power outage, the emergency evacuation centre would not be available for use.”

―Hilda Macdonald, Mayor, Municipality of Leamington

“The Municipality of Lakeshore is grateful for the support received through the Covid-19 Resilience Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This funding will allow the Municipality of Lakeshore to undertake two very important projects. The first project is an upgrade to touchless technology of washroom fixtures at various municipal facilities throughout Lakeshore which will help keep our residents and visitors safe from the spread of germs. The second project will fund the cost of dredging at the mouth of Belle River as well as grading the West Beach. This work will improve access to the beach and reduce flooding. We welcome today’s funding announcement and are eager to start these projects to help keep our residents safe.”

―Tom Bain, Mayor, Municipality of Lakeshore

Quick Facts

• Launched in June 2021, the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) provides $500 million over two years to invest in shared and inclusive public spaces, helping to create the conditions and accessibility to stimulate local economies and bring Canadians back together once it is safe to do so.
• The fund helps communities:
  • adapt public spaces so that they can be used safely, and
  • build or improve community assets to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their regions.
  • Canada’s regional development agencies are continuing to deliver targeted support for economic recovery in the region. Application intake is now open in Windsor-Essex through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario for the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, Jobs and Growth Fund, Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative and Tourism Relief Fund.

• To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure 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.
• Through the COVID-19 Resilience stream, over $3 billion is available to provide provinces and territories with added flexibility to fund quick-start, short term projects.
• Under the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure stream, the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects is 80 per cent in the provinces, and 100 per cent in the territories and for projects intended for Indigenous communities.

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For more information, please contact: Manvir Shokar, Office of Irek Kusmierczyk, 613.402.4672, manvir.shokar.516@parl.gc.ca