Infrastructure, housing investments among budget highlights for local mayors
The mayors of Kitchener and Waterloo are weighing in on the federal government’s 2024 budget.
“I think it really is great to see the overall housing theme as well as the affordability theme that the federal government has in today’s budget,” Waterloo mayor Dorothy McCabe told CTV News. “It’s really great to see the federal government fully engaged on this key priority of housing.”
McCabe said they’re excited to see what the city might be in line for, with the announcement to top up the Housing Accelerator Fund with another $400 million.
She also noted the importance of new infrastructure funding.
“Municipalities have been talking to the federal government and the provincial government for years about adjusting our fiscal funding arrangements,” she said. “So I’m hoping that this Canada housing infrastructure fund will be a way for us to really have that conversation and in greater earnest.”
“I would really want to emphasize the investments in housing infrastructure are really critical,” added Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
“I think for Kitchener residents overall, there’s a number of things on affordability. Both in terms of helping with housing costs, but also little things like agreements with cell providers, banking fees and so on, that governments in the past have been reluctant to touch, and have waited for these big banks and other companies to come forward – telco companies – to address on their own,” Vrbanovic said.
“That hasn’t happened. And it looks like they’re finally going to tackle those things, which will make a difference in the pocketbooks of Kitchener residents.”
Vrbanovic is also happy to see funding to match provinces on tackling chronic homelessness, as well as new measures that will help Canadians with their mortgage renewals in the near future.
“This is a budget that really strikes a strong balance of meeting the needs of affordability for Canadians while also continuing to invest in municipalities,” added Vrbanovic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Maximum payout for LifeLabs class-action drops from $150 estimate to $7.86
Canadian LifeLabs customers who filed an application for a class-action settlement began receiving their payments this week, though at a much lower amount than initially expected.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.