City council voted to support an expression of interest in landing extensive federal funding for a number of potential City projects during a special meeting July 25th.

The application deadline for the Investing in Canada funding program is Aug. 1st.

“In order to maximize financial value for the citizens that we serve, City staff try to identify projects in the Capital Budget and the City’s 10-Year Capital Plan in order to access funding from the provincial and federal orders of government,” explained Mayor Tara Veer.

This maximizes infrastructure dollars that come Red Deer’s way, and builds tax efficiency into the City’s own Capital Plan.

“Today, in order to meet the Canada Infrastructure budget deadline on August 1st, we brought it forward to council. Staff had looked at different projects in the Capital Plan that could potentially be not just eligible, but would be great opportunities that we would likely be able to secure funding for.”

First up, funding could be funneled to a potential expansions and enhancements of the G.H. Dawe Centre.

“This would be in order to meet the needs of the north specifically, but also the needs of the community in general,” she said.

The second project that funding was submitted for was the CPR Bridge. “We’ve known for many, many years when the bridge was saved decades ago that there would be a need for infrastructure upgrades there, and it’s very expensive to maintain that heritage resource.

Servicing requirements for College Park were also identified for potential funding as was the Wetlands (north of Hwy. 11A) restoration and enhancement project, she said.

“Obviously, we are trying to balance the growth between the north and the south areas of the community, and for us to do that particularly in a recession time when we aren’t seeing the extent of growth and development that we normally would – any infrastructure dollars that we can secure on the front end in order to facilitate that would certainly help our community,” she said.

That said, applying for this particular funding doesn’t necessarily mean these projects will come to fruition at a specific time.

“To be very clear, these are projects that are identified in the Capital Plan. They are not currently budgeted projects in that they have yet to receive budgeting approval,” said Veer, adding that there is some strategic timing around some of these projects as well.

“Council was very clear that by submitting for a grant for them, those grants may very well make council look upon these projects favourably if we were able to secure funding. But until we actually budget for them either in November or a subsequent capital budget meeting, these projects are in the planning – they are not funded or budgeted for.”