Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 9, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife will receive $400,000 in funding for public transit and transportation systems from the federal government under a plan announced Tuesday.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Michael McLeod and Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Chuck Strahl announced at a press conference $1.27 million will be put towards community public transit projects across the NWT.

"Our government is working in partnership with the Northwest Territories to meet current and future infrastructure needs," said Strahl.

"I'm proud to be part of bringing these real advantages to local communities across the Northwest Territories today."

McLeod said that the projects announced were based on sustainability, building on an existing system, project need and partnership.

He said that the goal of the new transit projects is "to support the reduction of greenhouse gases and to promote active transportation."

In Yellowknife, $100,000 will be allocated to building new bus shelters and the improvement of existing ones. $100,000 will go towards bike storage facilities and increasing the number of signs around trails and bike paths.

$200,000 will go to pedestrian walkways to increase access to the existing trail system, and create more sidewalks.

"The criteria does recognize the unique transportation challenges faced by the communities in the North," said McLeod.

Gameti, Fort Smith, Hay River, Lutsel K'e and Sachs Harbour will also receive money for transit projects.

Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, who attended the press conference, said afterwards,

"The big challenge with this program is with its capital."

He said smaller communities may face trouble keeping the systems going once they are put in place.

"It definitely was needed and it was outside of the national program to adapting this to the North, because there were communities that have no transit and the original program was for existing transit," said Van Tighem.

Funding for the projects was made available in April after the signing of the Canada-Northwest Territories Public Transit Agreement. More communities may receive funds, as $425,000 is still available for community transit projects. The application deadline for those funds is March 1, 2008.

The transit projects taking place in the NWT are part of the federal government's $33-billion plan, Building Canada.