Federal Government Gives More Money for Major Development Project in Brampton

Inbrampton.com
December 7, 2018
Alan Kan
As previously mentioned, the Riverwalk development proposal has the duel advantage of protecting downtown Brampton from flooding in the future while also opening up land for urban development opportunities.

While full financial commitments from the province and the federal government is far from certain, Riverwalk is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment. But it seems Ottawa recently recognized the benefits of the project in the long run. According to a press release from Brampton MP Ruby Sahota, the federal government is providing additional funding for the EA of the Downtown Brampton Riverwalk Flood Protection Project.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale committed $1.5
million to Brampton under the Public Safety Canada's National Disaster Mitigation Program to "better plan for and protect against the effects of flooding of the Etobicoke Creek in Downtown Brampton. This is in addition to an earlier $300,000 committed through Infrastructure Canada's Clean Water Wastewater Fund.

The funding will allow Brampton to complete the EA that will propose a preferred alternative to eliminate the risk of flooding. "Weather-related natural disasters are getting more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive. This is a threat not only to the safety of our city, but to our economic stability. Through this funding, the Government of Canada is determined to reduce the impacts of flooding from the Etobicoke Creek and build a safer and more resilient Brampton," Sahota said in her statement.

With the EA scheduled for completion and public review by 2020, Brampton is looking at a timeline for construction starting by 2021 with an anticipated finish date by 2025.

With the Riverwalk project being integral to incorporating other major future infrastructure projects in Brampton, such as LRT and the Queen Street BRT, it will be interesting to see if additional monies will be made available next year…especially with the federal election around the corner.