Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal and British Columbia governments have announced a series of infrastructure and housing agreements that could direct more than $5 billion in federal funding to the province over the next decade, with additional provincial matching funds bringing some programs to more than $6 billion.
Funding will be delivered through Ottawa’s Build Communities Strong Fund, a national infrastructure program launched earlier this year.
The largest housing-related commitment includes nearly $1.6 billion in federal funding over 10 years, to be matched by British Columbia, for a combined total of up to $3.2 billion. The money is intended to help municipalities reduce development charges on multi-unit housing projects by as much as 50 per cent and expand infrastructure needed to support new housing, including water, wastewater and road systems.
Federal and provincial officials said the measure could reduce costs by up to $40,000 per housing unit in participating communities.
The two governments also announced more than $600 million in federal funding over three years for health infrastructure projects. British Columbia will match the contribution, bringing the total investment to more than $1.2 billion. Eligible projects include hospital expansions, emergency departments, urgent care centres and other health facilities.
An additional $50 million in federal funding over five years has been earmarked for community infrastructure projects in coastal communities, with Terrace and Prince Rupert identified as priority locations.
The federal government has also introduced legislation that would provide British Columbia with a one-time transfer of $284 million aimed at reducing barriers to residential construction. The legislation has not yet been passed.
On housing, Ottawa and Victoria said they will launch a new partnership between Build Canada Homes and BC Housing to convert more than 2,200 vacant condominium units into affordable housing. The initiative will focus on priority growth areas and use financing tools designed to acquire or repurpose existing units.
Public transit is another major component of the agreement. Through the Canada Public Transit Fund, Ottawa will provide $2.5 billion over 10 years for new transit projects and service expansion in British Columbia. The funding is separate from the $852 million previously announced for TransLink and BC Transit.
Among the projects expected to benefit is the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, which is already under construction.
Plans for new public infrastructure in Tumbler Ridge were also announced, with Ottawa and Victoria each contributing $100 million toward construction of a new secondary school and renovations to the community’s health centre. Construction could begin as early as this summer, starting with demolition of the existing school.
The Build Communities Strong Fund, launched in April, is a $51-billion national program scheduled to run over 10 years. According to federal figures, British Columbia will also receive $326 million through the fund’s Community Stream in 2026-27, with total allocations of about $1 billion over the following three years.
