General

Municipal officials asking Ottawa for stable cash to fix crumbling cities

VANCOUVER – Municipal officials warn that Canada’s aging municipal infrastructure is crumbling, and they’re looking for a promise of long-term investment from the federal government to address the problem.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities says traffic congestion alone is costing the country $10 billion a year in lost productivity.

The group says one in four city wastewater treatment plants will need major upgrades to meet new federal regulations.

Federal funding commitments worth $2 billion a year are set to end in 2014 and the Conservative government is working on a new plan.

The cities say the federal government needs to make local infrastructure a budget priority, even in these lean times.

The federation will release specific recommendations Tuesday in Vancouver for infrastructure funding.

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