Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is dedicated to ensuring that its investments support the infrastructure Canadians need and use every day.
Infrastructure Canada has worked closely with partners to expand eligibility requirements and accelerate the funding being delivered under its old programs and to quickly move forward with new programs to support projects across the country.
When we took office in November 2015, $837 million was lying dormant in outdated funds that were several years old and had not been allocated to infrastructure projects. Unlike the previous government, we have been working closely with the provinces and territories to identify projects and allocate those residual amounts before March 31, 2017. In one year, we were able to allocate more than $800 million from those old programs to infrastructure projects right across the country.
For instance, we contributed $47 million in federal funding to widen Highway 417 from Maitland Avenue to Island Park Drive in Ottawa. We allocated $21.9 million in federal funding towards renovating Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal. We also contributed $54 million in federal funding towards the construction of Le Diamant theatre, in Quebec City. The remaining $30 million from past programs was transferred to agreement holders at the end of March to allow Canada's communities to invest that money according to their priorities.
Since its introduction, the gas tax fund has provided more than $7 billion for municipal infrastructure projects in Ontario alone.
This permanent source of funding continues to offer local communities the flexibility to make strategic investments across 18 different project categories, including public transit, roads, culture, sport, and recreation. By funding the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and the building of new construction, the gas tax fund boosts local employment and growth of the middle class.
The Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and key stakeholders such as the Union des municipalités du Québec and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to ensure our municipalities continue to receive the support they need in a streamlined fashion and a consistent, coherent fashion to build strong and vibrant communities.