Evidence of meeting #17 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 41st Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
I'm referring to the executive branch. Then it goes to Parliament as part of the estimates, and Parliament votes in the money or approves the transfer. Where we have put out this particular transfer.... Do you have the list?
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
If you look at the November 4, 2010, supplementary estimates--we'll give you the page numbers and everything--there is money for the forestry program.
If you look at the June 3, 2011, main estimates, there's an explanation, again, about the transfers.
The report on plans and priorities for 2011-12 and the departmental performance report for 2010-11 contain references that state, “Of the $1 billion originally allocated to the Green Infrastructure Fund, $170 million has been transferred to other federal departments to support high priority initiatives.” This is from part III, A and B, of the estimates we reported to Parliament.
Conservative
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Thank you all for appearing today.
I have a question under funding for the border infrastructure fund. The fund is meant to reduce congestion, enhance infrastructure, etc. Could you elaborate on what made up that figure?
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Are you talking about the $28.4 million?
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
There are two pieces to it. One is money to CBSA and the other is strategic review. But Mr. Forster is going to give you the details.
Associate Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada
If you're referring to the supplementary estimates, there's an amount in there for $743,000. This includes $700,000 to re-profile money that was not spent last year on border infrastructure projects. In particular, they'll need it for projects related to highways 35, 55, and 73 in Quebec. That will raise the total for this year to $44 million for border infrastructure projects. The fund was originally set up to do infrastructure projects primarily at the six largest border crossings but also at smaller crossings in Canada.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
What's the status of the Peace Bridge? Has New York agreed to construct one, or have we and we have to get agreement on one side or the other about what's being constructed? There's an environmental assessment going on right now. What's the status of that?
Deputy Minister, Department of Transport
Our assistant deputy minister of operations is going to answer your specific program question.
Helena Borges Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
With the Peace Bridge, they were in the process of conducting an environmental assessment on the American side--
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
--and they have not been successful in completing that environmental assessment, because there's been significant opposition with the communities on that side of the border. Until they got that assessment, they hadn't started the one in Canada. They're going back now and looking at whether they can remediate the challenges the community was raising. A lot of it is land-related. There are homes and parks there that people don't want to give up.
In the meantime, they're looking at improving the plaza the way it is today and trying to make it more efficient to get more traffic through there. In fact, the announcement that was made today by the Prime Minister and the President on the border has some initiatives that will help them achieve those efficiencies.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
Okay.
That's been going on for a while now, hasn't it, on the New York side?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
It has, and this was the second attempt, actually. They had started in the early nineties and spent almost nine years doing the environmental assessment, and then at that point one of the disadvantaged groups of the community—sort of low income—opposed this and took them to court and they stopped.
They restarted again in mid-2000 and they've been doing the EA now for a few years. Now it's really an issue more with the City of Buffalo and some of the properties that they own.
Conservative
Mark Adler Conservative York Centre, ON
There's a real residential area in there, isn't there, on the New York side?
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
Yes, there is. There isn't a lot of space, so part of the discussions in the past have looked at whether we could accommodate some of the U.S. activity on the Canadian side, but there are other issues related to that.
Conservative
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
Actually, the federal government is investing $62 million for realigning and reconfiguring the plaza on the Canadian side to accommodate new customs buildings, CFIA, the food inspection agency, and more booths going through there. That work is nearing completion. The bridge corporation itself is putting in a lot of that money as well, in addition to the federal government, and they're making improvements on the U.S. side as well.
Conservative
Assistant Deputy Minister, Programs, Department of Transport
Yes, it's for passenger only.
