Joint news release with Government of Canada
The Government of Yukon has received the first of two $8.25 million annual instalments of the federal Gas Tax Fund, along with a top-up of $16.5 million, made available through the Government of Canada’s Budget 2019. This top-up doubles the amount of money for municipalities, unincorporated communities and First Nations in Yukon.
Modern public infrastructure is key to promoting economic growth and developing healthy, sustainable communities. The federal Gas Tax Fund is a long-term, indexed source of funding that supports a diverse range of local projects across the territory, such as:
- upgrades to the Hart Crescent recirculation station in Whitehorse which provides residents with a more reliable and consistent supply of clean drinking water;
- a new concession building at a local park in the City of Dawson; and,
- a new truck to pump out local septic systems in the Kluane First Nation community.
This predictable funding is allowing municipalities, unincorporated communities and First Nations to plan for current and future infrastructure priorities. The Gas Tax Fund will allow them to build resilient infrastructure for residents and ensure that Yukon remains among the best places in the world to live.
The Government of Canada is proud to deliver this stable long-term funding that communities rely on to develop and maintain their public infrastructure. By working with other orders of government, we are making significant progress and delivering concrete results for all Canadians. From improving roads, water services and energy efficiency, to enhancing recreation and tourism centres, the federal Gas Tax Fund is helping keep families safe, promote economic development and improve people’s quality of life across the country.
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities François-Philippe Champagne
Yukon municipalities, First Nations and unincorporated communities love the Gas Tax Fund because it is reliable and flexible. Doubling it for 2019 is a big deal for all of our communities. Gas Tax projects also support environmental sustainability, economic development and employment opportunities across the territory.
Minister of Community Services John Streicker
The investments that Yukon municipalities make with Gas Tax Funds help build and revitalize local public infrastructure while supporting economic growth, a clean environment, and strong communities. The fund provides our municipalities with predictable, flexible, long term funding and communities can make much needed investments across 18 different project categories. We were very pleased to see the doubling of the Gas Tax Fund allocations and would love to see it become permanent.
Tara Wheeler, President, Association of Yukon Communities
The federal Gas Tax Fund delivers over $2 billion every year to over 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years, the funding has supported approximately 4,000 projects each year.
To help address the short-term infrastructure priorities of municipalities, local governments and Indigenous communities, the Government of Canada’s Budget 2019 includes a top-up of $2.2 billion to the federal Gas Tax Fund.
The federal Gas Tax Fund is flexible in allowing communities to apply funding to their most pressing local needs. Communities can invest across 18 different project categories, including recreation, water systems and roads. They can also use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.
Through its Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
The plan includes more than $92 billion for funding such as the Gas Tax Fund and more than $95 billion in new funding for infrastructure programs.
To date, more than 48,000 projects have been approved under the plan and the majority of these projects are either underway, or already completed.
Yukon’s 2019‒20 federal Gas Tax Fund allocations
The Government of Canada has delivered the first of two $8.25 million federal Gas Tax Fund instalments to Yukon for the 2019–20 fiscal year, along with a top-up of $16.5 million.
The funding will flow through eight municipalities, 14 First Nations, and the unincorporated communities listed below.
In addition to the regular instalments, Yukon communities will benefit this year from a top-up to their funding, as announced in the Government of Canada’s Budget 2019. The Gas Tax Fund will provide Yukon with a total of $33 million this fiscal year for local infrastructure projects.
The following table indicates the 2019–20 federal allocation and top-up amount for Yukon’s communities.
[1] Amounts exclude territorial administrative costs.
|
Ultimate Recipient |
Allocation 2019-20 |
Budget 2019 top-up |
|
Carcross/Tagish First Nation |
$294,881 |
$294,881 |
|
Carmacks, Village of |
$236,442 |
$236,442 |
|
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations |
$458,703 |
$458,703 |
|
Dawson, City of |
$827,711 |
$827,711 |
|
Faro, Town of |
$236,442 |
$236,442 |
|
Unincorporated Communities |
$1,132,600 |
$1,132,600 |
|
Haines Junction, Village of |
$472,993 |
$472,993 |
|
Kluane First Nation |
$166,654 |
$166,654 |
|
Kwanlin Dün First Nation |
$356,769 |
$356,769 |
|
Liard First Nation |
$410,163 |
$410,163 |
|
Little Salmon/Carmacks |
$259,689 |
$259,689 |
|
Mayo, Village of |
$236,442 |
$236,442 |
|
First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun |
$242,700 |
$242,700 |
|
Ross River Dena Council |
$239,060 |
$239,060 |
|
Selkirk First Nation |
$276,678 |
$276,678 |
|
Ta'an Kwä`ch'än Council |
$204,677 |
$204,677 |
|
Teslin Tlingit Council |
$311,061 |
$311,061 |
|
Teslin, Village of |
$236,442 |
$236,442 |
|
Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation |
$363,241 |
$363,241 |
|
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation |
$319,555 |
$319,555 |
|
Watson Lake, Town of |
$827,711 |
$827,711 |
|
White River First Nation |
$141,171 |
$141,171 |
|
Whitehorse, City of |
$7,928,219 |
$7,928,219 |
Matthew Cameron
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7136
matthew.cameron@gov.yk.ca
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications, Community Services
867-332-5513
bonnie.ventonross@gov.yk.ca
Ann-Clara Vaillancourt
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
613-697-3778
ann-clara.vaillancourt@canada.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
infc.media-medias.infc@canada.ca
Twitter: @INFC_eng
Web: Infrastructure Canada