Question Period Note: INFRASTRUCTURE CANADA’S CANADA HEALTHY COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE

What is the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative and why can’t communities get this support immediately?

• The health and well-being of Canadians remains our top priority as COVID-19 continues to have an unprecedented impact on our country. We want to give every community an opportunity to put their creative ideas and energy to work in response to this pandemic.

• The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will invest up to $31.3 million to help fund community ideas to make our communities more liveable, more active, more healthy, and more accessible by supporting projects such as bike paths, community gardens and Wi-Fi hot spots.

• To foster the sharing of good ideas and practices around the country, we have launched an open call-for-applications for not-for-profit organizations that will make this funding available to communities, who best understand their local needs.

• Municipalities, local governments, and Indigenous communities as well as not-for-profit community partners will be able to apply for funding for projects under three main themes: creating safe and vibrant public spaces, improving mobility options, and digital solutions.

• The improved mobility options category is for projects that permit physical distancing through permanent or temporary solutions that increase safe social connectivity, and help people walk, cycle and access transit. For example:

  ◦ sidewalk widening to allow for physical distancing in busy areas;

  ◦ bike lanes and improved signage to facilitate active transportation.

• The creating safe and vibrant public spaces category is for projects that create new or adapt existing public places such as parks, main streets, and other open spaces that encourage safe social interactions, cultural or physical activities, and local commerce. For example:

  ◦ the installation of public art to make an underutilized outdoor space more inviting for local residents;

  ◦ the expansion of a community garden to increase access to healthy affordable food for vulnerable communities.

• The digital solutions category is for innovative infrastructure-related projects that address changing community needs through the use of data and connected technologies. For example:

  ◦ the installation of free wifi hotspots in public locations;

  ◦ the development of web apps to support mental or physical wellness for an underserved vulnerable population group.

• The funding for the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative is being repurposed from existing funding for the Smart Cities Challenge. Given the current circumstances it was determined that the timing was not right to launch a second competition at this time. However, we continue to work closely with all of the winners of the first Challenge as they take their winning proposals from concept to reality. A decision will be made in the coming months about a future round.

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