LondonTopic.ca

From affordable housing to investing in schools, government money seemed to rain down on local infrastructure, Friday (May 29), as both provincial and federal governments were part of several funding announcements.

In two separate press conferences, the Ontario government announced money for affordable housing and publicly funded schools, then teamed up with the Canadian government to announce major funding for the University of Western Ontario's Ivey School of Business.

In the area of affordable housing, London West MPP Chris Bentley announced $3.3 million aimed at repairing and rehabilitating affordable housing units in London.

The money will be applied to 2,269 existing social housing units in 35 projects across the city and will help with energy-efficient heating systems, refurbishing elevators, upgrade fire alarm systems and fire separation repairs, roof repairs and other projects.

Ontario is helping repair and rehabilitate affordable housing units in London. This investment will have a real impact on the quality of life for many Londoners by enhancing accessibility, safety and efficiency. The funding is part of a $100 million investment the province provided to 47 Municipal Service Managers across Ontario to repair social housing units.

"City of London families deserve to live in homes that are safe, affordable and in good condition. This funding is a significant step in addressing the need for housing repairs to our community's social housing stock," said Bentley.

Two new schools for London – $10.1 million for a new elementary school and $27 million for a new Catholic secondary school – was at the forefront of a second funding announcement made by Bentley.

That funding is part of a $500 million province-wide investment to address accommodation needs for Ontario students.

The announcement also included $1 million to build a new addition at Northridge Public School in London.

Province-wide, funded projects include building new schools, expanding existing school facilities and reconfiguring school space to reduce energy costs.

A $50 million investment for a new building for UWO's Ivey School of Business was the meat of an announcement made by both federal and provincial government representatives.

The new building will house research centres for sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship, and emerging markets, as well as expand undergraduate and graduate programs. The construction of the new building is expected to create more than 500 jobs, officials said. This investment is part of the federal government's two-year, $2-billion plan to repair and expand research and educational facilities at colleges and universities across Canada and Ontario's commitment to invest $780 million in its colleges and universities to modernize facilities and boost the province's long-term research and skills training capacity over the next two years.

"Investing in the skills and knowledge of Ontarians is a cornerstone of our government's plan to strengthen the economy," said London North Centre MPP Deb Matthews. "By investing at Western today, the Ontario government is supporting new construction and renovation projects that will create construction jobs in the short-term and provide more opportunities for our students to develop the skills they need for the jobs of the future."

"This Government of Canada investment in UWO will provide a significant short-term economic stimulus to London and will create jobs in this region," said Joe Preston, MP for Elgin-Middlesex-London. "Our government is investing in innovation to create jobs, to help our economy recover quickly and to improve the quality of life for Canadians."

Western President Paul Davenport said the infrastructure funding allows the university to move ahead with a project that will position Ivey and UWO well for the future.

"Ivey is identified in our strategic plan as a signature area, and this is an incredible opportunity to take advantage of government investment that helps us build a strong university for the future. Ivey's impact is felt throughout the university, through its interdisciplinary programs and work across campus, and that means this project is important to all of us."