Another request by Saugeen Shores council for provincial infrastructure money has been turned down.
Council had applied to the Ministry of Transportation for funding under the Connecting Link program to help cover the costs of two projects on Hwy. 21, but the applications have been rejected by the province. It's the ninth consecutive infrastructure grant denial for Saugeen Shores.
Mayor Mike Smith says it's frustrating, but will not discourage the municipality from applying for future grants, including the next intake of the Connecting Link program later this year. Connecting Link program, which helps municipalities with up to 90% funding for projects on provincial highways within urban boundaries, was cancelled by the province in 2013, but reinstated after municipalities protested the move.
Smith says they need to continue to push the province for dollars, because Saugeen Shores has a large chunk of Connecting Link roads, with Hwy. 21 running through both Port Elgin and Southampton, including the Saugeen River bridge in Southampton.
"It was nice to at least see them reinstate the program so we're going to have to keep fighting to get the money that we think we need," says Smith. "We've got a $10-million bridge there that we'll need some help with at some point, so we hope the minister will recognize that."
Smith says Saugeen Shores representatives will be attending the upcoming Ontario Small Urban Municipalities conference in Goderich, and they plan to remind the provincial ministers that Saugeen Shores has not been receiving any help with infrastructure.
Ministry of Transportation documents show 23 municipalities out of 60 applications were approved for a total of $20-million worth of Connecting Link funding.
