News Release
August 22.2007

$1.5 Million to Fix East Road in Anmore

ANMORE — The Village of Anmore has received $1.5 million in federal and provincial funding to improve road access to the community and the nearby Buntzen Lake Recreational area.  The funding comes from the Canada-British Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (CBCMRIF), and was announced today by Tri-Cities MP James Moore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and Vancouver Whistler Olympics, and Port Moody-Westwood MLA Iain Black.

"Canada's Conservative Government is getting things done for the people of Anmore," said Moore. "This $1.5 million investment in federal and provincial funding for the reconstruction of East Road will ensure the community of Anmore has a safe, reliable and efficient transportation route."

The grant will allow the Village of Anmore to reconstruct about 1.3 km of East Road from Lanson Crescent to the 2500 block of East Road.  This road improvement will provide reliable and efficient access to the Village of Anmore and the nearby Buntzen Lake Recreational area.

"The project is a demonstration of government's commitment to investing in sustainable infrastructure projects that benefit our communities," said Black.  "We are pleased to partner with the federal government and the Village of Anmore to make this project a reality, improving road access to the Village of 1,600 residents and the Buntzen Lake Recreational area that sees 700,000 park visitors each year will have a positive impact on the area."

"This contribution is for an important infrastructure rehabilitation of a road that has recreational use by the lower mainland, and also for the Village of Anmore, a semi-rural municipality," said Mayor Hal Weinberg.  "The Council of Anmore would like to express its thanks to the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund for its support and understanding of the importance of this infrastructure rehabilitation to the lower mainland and our community."

Under the initial CBCMRIF Agreement signed in June 2006, the federal and provincial governments each committed $51 million to the fund, with participating local governments expected to make up the remaining costs.  This year, Canada's Conservative Government and the Province of B.C. have each provided an additional $23.5 million to the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund as part of their commitment to help smaller communities meet their pressing infrastructure needs.  This additional funding brings the total federal and provincial investment and matching local government contribution in CBCMRIF projects to over $220 million.

The majority of the funding is targeted towards communities of fewer than 250,000 people and a least 60 per cent of the funding will assist with "green projects" such as drinking water supply, treatment and distribution needs as well as wastewater and energy efficiency projects.  The remaining funds will be dedicated to other projects like tourism, recreation and other infrastructure.

More details on the program are available through the Canada-British Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund website, at www.canadabcmrif.ca

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For more information, email moorej0@parl.gc.ca or call 613.992.9650