Transit funding announcement Thursday

EASTERN ONTARIO – The federal and provincial governments will make a joint funding announcement Thursday for Cornwall and Brockville for public transportation.

The “infrastructure funding announcement for public transportation” is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Both governments have been making a series of multi-million dollar funding announcements from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

They announced nearly $11 million for the City of Peterborough today (June 24) for transit bus replacement, refurbishments and other transit plans.

Kingston-area MP Mark Gerretsen and Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell will make the announcement on behalf of Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna and Ontario Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott.

Also joining the event are MPP Steve Clark, along with Brockville Mayor Jason Baker and Cornwall Mayor Bernadette Clement.

At its May 25 meeting, the City of Cornwall approved the purchase of two new 40 foot buses for $1.2 million from Metrolinx based on 73 per cent of the cost funded through ICIP. The city’s share is $327,000.

Cornwall has been part of a group of Ontario small and medium-sized municipalities who have joined together to purchase buses in volume from Metrolinx, called joint procurement, in order to get a better price.