Despite rumblings last week that rural municipalities would not receive any portion of the provincial gas tax rebate, Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro announced Friday afternoon that Fort Frances would, in fact, receive $39,571 this year.
“For the first time ever, part of the provincial gas tax will be dedicated to expanding and improving public transit in Fort Frances,” Mauro said in a press release.
“We are delivering on our commitment to fund public transit. Better transit will increase readership, help boost the economy, and ease congestion,” he added. “This will make life better for both transit riders and drivers in Fort Frances.
“This investment will go a long way toward helping their transit services,” noted Mauro. “Our government is committed to promoting more public transit use throughout the province, and in Fort Frances.”
Coun. Tannis Drysdale, who was surprised to see the town getting any money back, noted this morning that this rebate likely will be used for the town’s existing public transportation systems—the handi-van and dial-a-ride.
Gas tax funding is being phased in, starting with one cent per litre this October, increasing to 1.5 cents per litre in 2005, and two cents per litre in 2006.
A total of 78 transit systems serving 105 municipalities across the province are getting in on the gas tax rebate.
The other Northwestern Ontario municipalities receiving a share are Dryden ($38,537), Kenora ($81,046), Thunder Bay ($996,091), and Schreiber ($15,186).
These amounts increase proportionally in cities with much larger public transit systems. The City of Toronto, for instance, received $81,250,894.
The province worked with municipalities and transit groups to develop an equitable formula to distribute gas tax funding based on ridership and population.
This meets the needs of large municipalities with established transit systems and smaller municipalities with different transit needs.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
