The health and well-being of Canadians are top priorities for the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island. Communities across Canada are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and need immediate assistance to ensure their public infrastructure is safe and reliable.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable James Aylward, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure; and Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, announced funding for a permanent provincial material warehouse.

The new 12,000-square-foot climate-controlled warehouse will serve as a storage space for Health PEI's pandemic readiness supplies, such as gloves, gowns, masks, wipes, sanitizers, syringes, bedding, as well as storage of the National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS). The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure will also use this facility as permanent storage for accommodation furniture inventories like modular panels, desks, shelving units, and chairs.

The building will be constructed to be a highly energy-efficient, net-zero ready building. This project will help support the response to the current pandemic and the economy.

The Government of Canada is investing $2.4 million towards this project through the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Prince Edward Island is contributing $600,000 to the project.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is investing in Prince Edward Island's public infrastructure to keep Islanders safe and healthy and boost the economy. The new warehouse will help the province be even more efficient in its pandemic response and serve future needs. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities."

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Since the early days of the pandemic, we have been committed to keeping Islanders safe.  This new building will ensure that we can keep the supplies needed, in a safe and sterile environment, to serve our needs now and in the future."

The Honourable James Aylward, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

Quick facts

• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

• To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID-19 Resilience Stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.

Associated links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map

Federal infrastructure investments in Prince Edward Island

https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-pe-eng.html