(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

under review

City of Red Deer reacts to 2021 Federal Budget

Apr 19, 2021 | 5:01 PM

The City of Red Deer says it is awaiting more details on how the first Federal budget in two years will help Red Deer directly in 2021.

The budget was released Monday afternoon, with The City noting it identifies focus areas including COVID-19 relief, the economy, business resilience, affordable housing and infrastructure spending.

“Direct Federal investment in municipalities will continue through the long-standing Canada Community-Building Fund (formerly known as Gas Tax Fund), with Red Deer expecting to receive approximately $6 million in one-time funding for local infrastructure needs,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “This is welcome news for Red Deer; however, we still need to analyze the budget and explore further funding opportunities we hope to leverage for our community.”

The Canada Community-Building Fund could be used for projects related to road rehabilitation, transit, and sport and rec, among other things.

City Manager Allan Seabrooke says municipalities are the, “most nimble order of government working to provide stability to business, residents and communities.”

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“The Federal budget impacts us at a local level, setting the tone for future focus and determining what level of funding will be funneled to municipalities in response to local needs.”

The City also notes the budget’s commitment to providing $2.5 billion towards the construction and refurbishment of 35,000 housing units across the country, as well as $1 billion for tourism, and more for seniors care and Indigenous communities.

“The City will continue to watch for more details as they are announced to identify opportunities to leverage opportunities for our citizens, in particular, COVID-19 recovery for residents and business owners, affordable housing, transit, and other key programs for our community,” said Mayor Veer. “We will also watch for areas of potential challenge for our citizens, which may necessitate advocacy to the Federal Government.”

The new Canada Recovery Hiring Program is also of interest to The City, it’s noted.

The City plans to address other areas of the budget directly as details become available.

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More budget coverage is on our Canada page.