Fed infrastructure money could be sought for 2nd bridge

Prince Albert will be applying for a share of the $5.8 billion made available by the federal government in new infrastructure funding, and it could potentially become a source of funds for a second bridge project.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced on Monday that his Conservative government will be targeting this money to investments in federal infrastructure. Such areas of investment could include heritage, First Nations education, defence, research facilities, borders, harbours and transportation.

Prince Albert MP Randy Hoback said it’s not new money, but it’s more of a confirmation of the funds muncipalities recieve from the gas tax. He said it’s fairly open-ended as to what municipalities can use the money for.

He said something like a second bridge would go under the public-private partnership model. “Six million dollars isn’t enough to put towards a bridge but if they [the City] went after some P3 funding, then there’s a substantial amount of money sitting there in P3 Canada.”

The City doesn’t yet know which programs it will try to tap this source of funding for. City manager Jim Toye said city officials will sit down as a team to determine which projects are the most important and fit within the criteria.

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“So this is a bit of different part of the program of the Building Canada [Plan]. It’s called the provincial-territorial infrastructure component, so there traditionally, there’s got to be some meaning to the province and to the areas. So it’s not just what’s good for Prince Albert; sometimes they want to have what this means to the province too.”

Toye feels there will be a lot of competition for this infrastructure funding.

“So, we’re going to be in competition with every other municipality… Even the province can actually apply for money under this program,” he said. The scope of who can apply is broad, Toye added, which will make the competition tougher.

Toye asked internal City staff to evaluate projects that are within the five-year capital plan to see which ones best fit the government’s criteria. The City will have to send their application in by Jan. 12, 2015.

“Lots of times with programs like this, on that first intake, they can commit money for one, or two or three years. So, we want to make sure that we are in the queue for this grant for sure.”

One of the projects that could be put forward as a possibility for the funds is a potential second bridge project. 

The City is looking at a number of prospective sources of funding: public-private partnerships, grants and even tolls.

At Monday evening’s council meeting, Coun. Charlene Miller asked administration to look into the feasibility of implementing a toll on the Diefenbaker Bridge. Miller suggested the funds generated by the toll could be used towards the maintenance of the Diefenbaker Bridge or to help build a second bridge.

It’s not the first time tolls have been mentioned as a possible source of funding for a second bridge project. In October, Mayor Greg Dionne told paNOW that he would be in support of tolls before public-private partnerships at this point because he knows more about tolls.

Tolls have been used in other provinces, and Toye said the City will look at these models.

“Besides that, we’re looking for government grants and any other fundraising we might be able to do in the region, because this is not a Prince Albert bridge, it’s a northern bridge, and it does affect the economy of many communities north of us.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames