Kawartha Lakes City Council unanimously approved an economic recovery task force that will support local business, building trades, tourism and agriculture.
To be chaired by Mayor Andy Letham, it is one of two special task forces to be in place by May 26 to help buffer the harsh economic realities facing local businesses as they prepare, eventually, to reopen after a long closure due to COVID-19.
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock will receive more than $3 million across eight municipalities, including the City of Kawartha Lakes receiving more than $2 million, according to a recent announcement from MPP Laurie Scott.
At the last Special Council meeting, Adam Found, Manager of Corporate Assets, reviewed the new capital grant opportunities that the municipality has submitted applications for, including the following:
Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program
Rural and Northern Municipalities Stream – This is a competitive program targeted toward roads and bridges to strengthen Canada’s transportation networks. Federal and Provincial governments will fund up to 83% of eligible capital project cost subject to a $5 million cap. The Colborne St. Bridge and Colborne St. West reconstruction project scheduled for 2020-2024 has been submitted. The bridge location was approved by Council in 2015 following several studies.
Today MPP Laurie Scott announced the Ontario government is investing in Highway 35 restoration projects to improve road safety in the northern Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton. The restoration projects will include culvert upgrades, and rehabilitation of the Gull River bridge in Moore Falls.
This funding is part of a $1.3 billion investment in transportation projects announced by Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation. These projects will help create jobs for Ontario’s construction industry and help keep our highways reliable so that our province has a transportation network that encourages job creation, investment and trade in every region of the province.
Growing up, Leslie Frost was a hero to me. In our cupboard at home we had some Pyrex flatware — a wedding gift to my parents from Frost. The family connection was that my grandfather, who ran Bill’s Taxi in Lindsay, had driven for Leslie Frost.
Rushing Frost’s forgotten passport from Lindsay to Toronto with police escort was the stuff of legend in my house. That I went to a school named after him only increased my sense of connection to the man.
I follow politicians of every stripe and I’ve found myself wondering lately how a politician like Frost would fare in today’s meme-based, fact-agnostic, political atmosphere. His nicknames were ‘Old Man Ontario’ and ‘The Great Tranquilizer.’
Analysis A new announcement from the Province on funding for rural transportation systems across Ontario will see $1.6 billion unlocked for 85 eligible municipalities outside of Toronto and Hamilton – including Kawartha Lakes.
However, the Advocate has learned that because the money from both the Province and federal government is based on a municipality’s current ridership share, Kawartha Lakes can access only $1.7 million in funding. Compare this to the City of Peterborough which will get $26 million from the provincial share alone – despite the fact that the population of the City of Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes is almost the same (with Peterborough’s 81,000 vs Kawartha Lake’s 75,000.)
