Ontario helping Prince Edward County to rehabilitate County Rd. 49

24 January 2025

Investment of nearly $20 million will aid new home construction

PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY– The Ontario government is investing $19,993,424 toward the rehabilitation of County Rd. 49, a project supporting the construction of 2,191 new homes in Prince Edward County, Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte announced today.  

The funding is being delivered through the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, which includes $400 million to help build, repair and maintain municipal roads bridges, and culverts that will promote housing growth in communities across Ontario.

“Our government has heard how important rehabilitating County Rd. 49 is to the residents of Prince Edward County, and it has listened. This is the major transportation route into the municipality from the east and we’re committed to working collectively on this project,” said Allsopp. “Rebuilding this infrastructure not only benefits commuters, visitors, and businesses, but it also enables more new housing development.”

With the Province’s approval of the application to rehabilitation County Rd. 49 (which also includes the urban portion of the highway, known as Phase 3 of the Picton Main Street redevelopment), the municipality not only receives a capital influx toward the upgrades, but it also gains improved standing to leverage the federal government and private investors for their support.

Mayor Steve Ferguson welcomed the announcement.

“Rehabilitating County Rd. 49 will help unlock new housing opportunities and support our tourism, hospitality, and employment sectors,” said Ferguson. “We are one step closer to fixing one o the worst roads in the province thanks to the outstanding support of the Government of Ontario. It is vital that the federal government join with the County and the Province to financially support this project.”

Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, Kinga Surma, explained the investments will assist municipalities like Prince Edward County to manage the growth they are seeing.

“To keep pace with growing communities across our province, our government is helping municipalities build more homes faster than ever before,” said Surma. “Families and residents need safe and reliable roads and bridges to access these homes and travel safely to and from their destinations. That’s why we are making targeted, local investments through the Housing-Enabling Core Services Stream to support the construction of municipal roads, bridges, and culverts that keep residents safe and foster stronger, more connected communities across Ontario.”

Of the 58 projects funded through the program, 31 are in communities like Prince Edward County that do not have provincial housing targets. The government has invested $125.8 million in these communities.

Earlier this week, at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference, Surma announced the government will also invest $175 million to launch the new Health and Safety Water Stream under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program. The new stream will support projects that protect homes and create resilient communities by building, rehabilitation and expanding aging water, wastewater, and stormwater systems and flood and erosion prevention infrastructure.

“I’m delighted to see this new stream providing yet another tool to assist municipalities as they grow,” said Allsopp. “The application portal is expected to open next month, and I encourage our Bay of Quinte municipalities to submit priority projects for consideration.”

Through the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, Ontario is providing nearly $2 billion to support housing- and community-enabling infrastructure and build more homes across the province.

QUICK FACTS

  • In September, through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Stream under the Municipal Housing Infrastructure, Ontario recently provided Prince Edward County $18.3 million to support upgrades to the municipality’s water systems. The investment could support up to 4,000 new homes.
  • Recent Ontario investments in Prince Edward County, including a new state-of-the-art Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital and a new St. Gregory Catholic School, have been informed by growth projections.
  • Details on the new Health and Safety Water Stream and eligibility are available at www.ontario.ca/housinginfrasture.
  • The government is delivering the most ambitious capital plan in Ontario’s history, with targeted investments totalling more than $191 billion over the next decade to build critical infrastructure and lay a strong foundation for future generations.

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