The federal budget will be announced later this month and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has released a report detailing where it would like to see the government direct spending on small and rural communities. According to the federation, its recommendations will ensure adequate economic supports, sustainable development opportunities and improved quality of life for residents of rural communities across Canada.
Prince George city councillor and FCM board member Garth Frizzell says the pre-budget proposal is one of the most comprehensive ever submitted by the federation. It lays out multiple priorities for increased government spending.
“We’re wanting, first of all, for the federal government to double their investment in the small communities fund. That would be a pretty significant commitment for them.”
The Small Communities Fund currently receives $1 billion in funding per year. Those funds area made available to communities with less than 100,000 residents. Frizzell says he and the federation would like to see the government allow for some flexibility on the fund’s population threshold.
“We want it to be optimized for small, rural Canada, so that different provinces and territories can set the thresholds to reflect the size of their communities. We want to see some additional investment in recreation and cultural facilities, rural affordable housing solutions.”
Frizzell expressed optimism that the government will pay attention to the federation’s recommendations.
“What we’re seeing is the federal government recognizing that local communities are very effective at delivering programs and that’s really exciting.”
The government is expected to announce the 2016 budget on March 22.