Canada launches Build Communities Strong Fund and announces first projects

Canada has officially launched the Build Communities Strong Fund and announced the first tranche of projects under the new federal infrastructure program.

The government says the fund will total $51 billion over 10 years starting in 2026-27, with $3 billion a year ongoing. The first tranche includes 13 direct-delivery projects totaling $300 million in federal funding.

The first announced project is the Embleton Community Centre and Park in Brampton, Ontario, where the federal government says it will invest $64 million. Official backgrounders also list funding for water and wastewater infrastructure in Iqaluit, Nunavut, to support about 2,000 to 2,500 new housing units by 2031, as well as funding for the Whistle Bend Active Transportation Corridor in Whitehorse, Yukon.

The government says more direct-delivery projects will follow. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities welcomed the launch, saying the direct-delivery stream can help move shovel-ready local projects more quickly.

The new fund is aimed at housing-enabling and community infrastructure across Canada, with separate provincial and territorial funding streams still to be negotiated.

The launch marks the first concrete project list for the program and gives municipalities an early look at where federal money is flowing.