Ontario Funding for Kenora–Rainy River Road Reconstruction Projects

April 12, 2023

Province supporting the safe movement of people and goods, spurring economic growth

DRYDEN – Today, MPP Greg Rickford announced the Ontario government is providing more than $2.9 million to help the City of Dryden with the reconstruction of Grand Trunk Avenue (Highway 17) from Leach Road to Cecil Avenue. The funding is being delivered through the Connecting Links program, which supports the safe movement of people and goods and spur economic growth.

“Northwestern Ontario’s economy depends on reliable infrastructure to connect people to jobs, housing and education,” said Greg Rickford, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kenora–Rainy River. “That is why our government continues to make targeted invests in transportation infrastructure, like the reconstruction of Grand Trunk Avenue, that will serve our community and the region for many years to come.”

In addition, the Ontario government is providing the Town of Fort Frances with nearly $93,000 for the detailed design of the reconstruction of Third Street West (Highway 17/11) from Central Avenue Westerly.

The Connecting Links program provides funding for up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs. This includes a maximum of $3 million for road projects and $5 million for bridge projects. Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of municipal roads and bridges that run through communities and connect to provincial highways.

“Our government is investing in municipal roads and bridges to support jobs and growth in our local communities,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “By helping municipalities make much-needed infrastructure improvements, our government is continuing to deliver on its plan to build a stronger Ontario and keep goods and people moving across the province.”  

All eligible municipalities are encouraged to apply for 2024–25 Connecting Links program funding when the intake opens later this year.

Quick Facts

• Connecting Links are municipal roads that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to an international or interprovincial border crossing.
• In Ontario, there are a total of 352 kilometres of connecting links, with 70 bridges in 77 municipalities.