Municipalities across the country breathed a sigh of relief last week when the federal government announced an extension to its stimulus grant program.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the announcement on Thursday, moving the completion date for projects funded under the program from May 31, 2011 to Oct. 31, 2011.
The extension means two local projects — the Community Cultural Centre in Morinville and the construction of 195 Avenue in Sturgeon County — no longer face a risk of losing their funding.
Sturgeon County asked local member of Parliament Brent Rathgeber for assistance in lobbying for its project, which encountered significant weather delays this year and was not completed before the end of the construction season.
“We went round the clock to try and meet that deadline and we were acting in good faith and I think a lot of municipalities were in the same position,” said Sturgeon Mayor Don Rigney.
He thanked Rathgeber for his efforts and said he was glad the government changed its mind and relaxed the deadline.
The county is about 90 per cent complete on the major road project, which is upgrading the roadway to help accommodate changes the Anthony Henday Drive project is creating, to access Edmonton Garrison.
“That shows they are listening, they are responsive and they are making good decisions,” said Rigney.
Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi said the cultural centre should still be able to meet the original deadline, but he also is happy to have the breathing space.
“Their share was $6 million and it is nice to know there is absolutely no doubt that we will be complete by that time.”
The program was originally meant to fund infrastructure projects as way to kick-start the economy and had a timeline to make sure jobs and investments were started quickly.
Under the terms, if a municipality did not finish its project, it might have had to return some or all of the funds.
Rathgeber said he took Sturgeon County’s case to the appropriate ministers, but many MPs were looking for an extension because of poor weather in some part of the country this year.
“I certainly wasn’t the only MP that was lobbying for an extension.”
He said with Canadian weather being what it is, a March 31 deadline might as well have been a December deadline and he is glad the government changed its mind.
“I am happy the government saw the wisdom of extending it to a more realistic construction deadline.”
