Ramara Township Celebrates Completion of Solar Rooftop Panels Thanks to Federal Gas Tax Funding

Ramara, Ontario, July 3, 2012 – Residents of Ramara are benefitting from cleaner air and a more diversified power supply thanks to Canada's Gas Tax Fund.

"Our Government is proud to have invested in this innovative project that will generate clean energy and revenue for the Township of Ramara," said Bruce Stanton, Member of Parliament for Simcoe North. "Communities in the Simcoe region and across the country can continue to count on the Government of Canada for stable, long-term funding to support local infrastructure improvements, job creation and economic growth."

Begun in 2011 and completed this year, this project involved the installation of three ten-kilowatt solar photovoltaic panels on the rooftops of three township buildings: the Ramara Centre, a fire hall and a works yard. These panels exemplify Ramara's commitment to green energy. As well, the Township will receive about $36,000 annually from the sale of energy produced by the panels.

"Township Council was spontaneous in its support of installing solar panels on three of our municipal buildings. We have a strategic initiative dealing with sustainability and finding environmentally friendly solutions to encourage the greening of our community. Council also adopted an initiative to develop revenue generating enterprises. This photovoltaic project satisfies both initiatives. We are generating revenue for the municipality while producing electricity from the sun," said His Worship Bill Duffy, Mayor of the Township of Ramara. "We must thank the federal government for the capital cost through the Gas Tax Fund, the Province for the Feed In Tariff (FIT) program and AMO for the agreement for us to work together and for getting us off on the right foot with our application. Everyone wins with this initiative."

The Township of Ramara used $210,000 of its federal Gas Tax Fund allocation toward the installation of three rooftop solar panels.

"Canada's Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in our municipalities," said Gary McNamara, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "Stable and predictable, the Gas Tax Fund is supporting long-term investment in local priority projects right across Ontario."

Canada's Gas Tax Fund provides stable, long-term funding to local governments to help them build and revitalize public infrastructure. In December 2011, the Government of Canada passed legislation to make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion per year. The Government of Canada, through the Gas Tax Fund alone, provides $746 million in funding annually for municipal infrastructure in Ontario. Between 2010 and 2014, the Township of Ramara will receive $1,156,693 from the Gas Tax Fund.

Investing in infrastructure is a key part of the Government of Canada's plan to create jobs, generate economic growth and ensure long-term prosperity. Over the course of the summer, the Government of Canada is engaging provinces, territories and stakeholders in a series of roundtables to develop a new long-term infrastructure plan. This plan will focus on investments that support job creation and economic growth, while building strong, prosperous communities across the country. In addition, the Government of Canada will hold a roundtable with national stakeholders and representatives of the private sector at the end of the summer. Working together to develop this plan will provide new opportunities for all orders of government and the private sector to build partnerships to improve public infrastructure in Canada.

For further information on the Government of Canada's infrastructure investments in Ontario, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.

For additional information, please contact:

Geneviève Sicard
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700

Margaret M. Black
Corporate Services Manager/Treasurer
Township of Ramara
705-484-5374 extension 227

Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154