We couldn't do this without provincial funding for infrastructure, says mayor

Much-needed funding for several Sault Ste. Marie road projects was announced at the Civic Centre by Sault MPP Ross Romano early Friday afternoon. 

The Sault will be receiving $2,015,000 in funding from the province’s Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF). 

“This is a fund we’ve had for a number of years and this is something we’ve now been able to confirm within our government...that money will be, I think, very well utilized by our community in order to improve upon our infrastructure here within Sault Ste. Marie,” Romano said.

“The reality is we talk a lot about infrastructure deficits...municipalities own most of the infrastructure and are responsible for most of the infrastructure but we don’t have the revenue generating tools to address that infrastructure, so we simply could not do this without our federal and provincial partners,” said Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano.

“We appreciate the support,” Provenzano said. 

“With the infrastructure deficit, there is insufficient funding for reconstruction, for all the things we need to replace and resurface. Every sum of money available to us needs to be put to infrastructure, so this is helpful,” said Don Elliott, City of Sault Ste. Marie engineering services director, speaking to SooToday.

The funding, Elliott said, could be assigned to Black Road widening between Second Line and McNabb, Northern Avenue resurfacing, 6th Avenue reconstruction and possibly the Fort Creek aqueduct.

Elliott said Black Road widening currently underway came about partly as a result of Connecting Link funding, “but some of this OCIF funding could possibly go toward that as well.”

“The bulk of the work (on Black Road) will happen next year but we’re doing the widening on the west side of Black Road. The contractor is adding the base foundation for two additional lanes, and that’s work that can be pursued in the winter.”

“There’s a bottleneck there. It is the Trans-Canada Highway and it’s in an urban setting and it’s only two lanes. It needs to be widened.”

Elliott said the Black Road project should be completed by October or November of next year, with work on other projects to begin “probably in May.”