The federal government is in the midst of negotiating and signing Integrated Bilateral Agreements with provincial and territorial governments across the country. This is how the government will fund municipal projects as part of phase two of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.
So far, we have seen wins for municipalities in all of the IBAs that have been signed, reflecting the priorities that FCM and our members have been calling for on-fair cost-sharing amongst all orders of government, that a fair balance of municipal and provincial projects be funded, and that a streamlined process be created for rural communities.
Next steps
The next step to secure a fair balance of municipal funding is to propose local projects for provinces' and territories' initial three-year plans that will be submitted to the federal government.
Deadlines are approaching in some provinces and territories. In others, municipal and provincial elections may affect the timing for intakes. Provincial/territorial associations will inform members of relevant deadlines as they are announced. This is your chance to access historic federal investments for your community — investment that you helped secure through FCM.
This is our opportunity to show that local governments are ready to transform this country from coast to coast to coast. As the order of government closest to daily life, municipalities are Canada's builders — and it's time to get building.
To find out if your province has started an intake process or what your municipality will need to do to access Investing in Canada funding, contact your provincial or territorial association.
If you have questions, please contact info@fcm.ca, and we would be pleased to help you.