Today, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne announced $2.75 billion in funding over five years, starting in 2021, to enhance public transit systems and switch them to cleaner electrical power, including supporting the purchase of zero-emission public transit and school buses. “Better public transit, cleaner air, quieter streets, and a planet safe for our kids – that’s the goal of our investment in zero-emission buses across Canada,” said Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “By making this investment, we’re tackling climate change while creating good jobs and supporting manufacturing right now, here at home.”
This funding is part of an eight year, $14.9 billion public transit investment recently outlined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and will also support municipalities, transit authorities, and school boards with transition planning, increase ambition on the electrification of transit systems, and deliver on the federal government’s commitment to help purchase 5,000 zero-emission buses over the next five years. “As part of its $10 billion Growth Plan, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is committed to investing $1.5 billion in zero-emission buses,” said Ehren Cory, CEO of Canada Infrastructure Bank. “We will help create jobs, reduce greenhouse gases and make commutes cleaner.”
This investment will create more well paying jobs in Canada’s robust and growing electric vehicle manufacturing sector. Nova Bus in Saint-Eustache, Lion Electrique in Saint-Jérôme, GreenPower in Vancouver, and New Flyer in Winnipeg are examples of innovative companies that have been delivering zero-emission transit solutions. To date, Infrastructure Canada’s funding programs have supported the purchase of over 300 new zero-emission buses, and this trend is expected to accelerate.