Shelburne receives $546,000 from Province

Written By MIKE BAKER

Municipalities in Dufferin County and Caledon will share a nearly $4.9 million windfall as a result of a one-time provincial initiative designed to help communities fund much-needed infrastructure projects.

In a release to media on Friday, Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones confirmed each of Dufferin County's eight municipalities, as well as the Town of Caledon, would receive funding to improve services in their community.

Topping the list are Caledon and Dufferin, which will each receive $725,000 from the program. Orangeville is set to receive $563,185, with Shelburne expected to pocket $546,666. Mono will receive $557,440, Mulmur will get $409,347, while Grand Valley will receive $394,486. The County's three smallest municipalities, Amaranth ($361,791), Melancthon ($317,042) and East Garafraxa ($282,861) will split almost $1 million between them.

“With this investment, Dufferin-Caledon municipalities can work on projects (in) transit, water and wastewater services and parks and recreation,” Ms. Jones said. “Each municipality will have its own priorities and projects and will plan how best to utilize this funding.”

During his announcement last week, Steve Clark, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, confirmed that 405 municipalities across the province would receive funds through the program. In an attempt to ensure investments are targeted to where they are needed most, Mr. Clark stated funding was allocated based on the number of households in a municipality, and based on whether the municipality is considered urban or rural. 

In her statement to media, Ms. Jones said she was pleased to see municipalities in Dufferin-Caledon receive a piece of the pie.

“Our government is focused on improving the transparency and accountability of spending across the province. We encourage municipalities to improve efficiencies in spending through capital investments, service delivery reviews, IT solutions, and the development of shared service agreements,” Ms. Jones said. “The Ontario government believes that municipalities know how to spend money in the most needed places.”