Transportation and Works
Finance
Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
June 11, 2009
Economy
Strong as Province to Tender Over a Billion Dollars This Fiscal Year
Provincial infrastructure projects
totalling $1.6 billion will be tendered this fiscal year, creating
an estimated 15,000 jobs (some seasonal) and providing significant
economic stimulus to the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador. The
Honourable Trevor Taylor, Minister of Transportation and Works; the
Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Finance and President of
Treasury Board; and, the Honourable John Hickey, Minister of
Labrador Affairs, provided an update today on infrastructure
projects that are underway to stimulate the provincial economy and
address the provincial infrastructure deficit.
In February, the Provincial Government announced it
would spend approximately $800 million on infrastructure in 2009-10.
Newfoundland and Labrador is beginning to see the benefits of its
significant investment in economic stimulus, as contracts for
projects totalling approximately $400 million have already been
awarded or gone to public tender, with the remaining 2009-10
projects expected to be tendered by this fall.
"It's one thing to make unprecedented commitments
but it's quite another to get this money flowing and projects
tendered quickly and that's just what our government is doing," said
Minister Taylor. "Right now our Tendering and Contracts Division is
the busiest it has ever been. On average, at any given time, the
Provincial Government has between 20 to 30 tenders in circulation.
We currently have 107 tenders out, which is a record for this
province."
In addition, the Williams Government expects a
further $800 million worth of projects, slated to commence in
2010-11, will be tendered this fiscal year. The Provincial
Government will fund 85 per cent (or $1.3 billion) of the $1.6
billion total, supplemented by contributions from federal and
municipal governments.
Minister Taylor said there are many reasons why
these significant projects are moving ahead so briskly.
"Newfoundland and Labrador launched our own
multi-year infrastructure strategy three years ago," said Minister
Taylor. "So this year, when the Federal Government offered economic
stimulus money, we already had our priority list identified. We had
been proactive and our sound strategic planning allowed us to move
forward with a series of significant projects very smoothly.
"We are issuing and awarding our tenders earlier
than ever before and we plan to maintain this aggressive tender
schedule as long as the commodity and labour prices hold and the
industry has the capacity to do the work. Also, we are duplicating
the designs of many of our new schools and health care facilities
which expedites the process and makes it more cost-efficient."
Minister Kennedy said while Newfoundland and
Labrador has seen the effects of the global economic downturn, there
is reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future.
"At a recent meeting of finance ministers across the
country, the Federal Government indicated that Newfoundland and
Labrador is now leading the rest of the country with stimulus
flowing to the economy in 2009 and 2010 relative to our GDP," said
Minister Kennedy. "In addition, thus far this year, our province is
leading the country in a number of economic indicators, including
investment intentions, retail sales, labour income and urban housing
starts."
"It is our hope that with sustained economic
stimulus we will continue to see positive economic indicators," said
Minister Kennedy. "The Hebron project is proceeding and we see
confidence demonstrated by the partners in the fact that they have
set up a head office in St. John's and announced their plans. The
Vale Inco project is proceeding and the company has awarded a
contract for engineering, procurement and construction management.
The province has also successfully negotiated collective agreements
with most of its public sector unions."
Minister Kennedy said the province's continued
population growth is another reason to be optimistic. According to
Statistics Canada, after experiencing the highest quarterly
population growth since 1992 during the third quarter of 2008,
Newfoundland and Labrador's population continued to increase again
during the fourth quarter of 2008. Last year marked the first time
in 16 years that the province recorded an increase in population.
The Honourable John Hickey, Minister of Labrador
Affairs, also provided an update specifically regarding Labrador
infrastructure.
"With some $93 million in projects awarded or
tendered for Labrador so far this fiscal year, creating
approximately 1,400 jobs, this government is moving fast to make
smart strategic investments," said Minister Hickey. "Through the
Northern Strategic Plan, we are making historic improvements to
Labrador infrastructure while creating the necessary economic
stimulus to get us through these challenging times."
- 30 -
Photo #1 - Pictured here is the new Corner Brook
Law Courts, currently under construction and valued at $20
million.
Photo #2 - Pictured here New Corner Brook Long term-care
facility, currently under construction and valued at $60.7
million
Photo #3 - Pictured here is an artist's conception of the New
Torbay Elementary School, valued at $16.9 million
Photo #4 (PDF) - Map of Trans Labrador Highway (Phase I, II and III)
Photo #5 - Constructions crews widen Phase I Trans Labrador
Highway in preparation for paving
Photo #6 - Construction crews work on Torbay By-pass
Media contacts:
David Salter
Director of Communications
Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 691-3577
davidsalter@gov.nl.ca
|
Tansy
Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Finance
709-729-6830, 685-2646
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca
|
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
709-729-1674, 728-7762
jtompkins@gov.nl.ca
|
|
BACKGROUNDER
Status of Major Infrastructure Projects
Program |
Tendered/
Awarded |
To be Tendered |
09/10 |
10/11 |
Transportation Sector |
|
|
|
Provincial Roads Program
(includes Federal Stimulus) |
$49.7M |
$3.0M |
Summer-Fall 09
$74 M |
National Highway System
(includes cost-shared) |
$25.9M |
|
Summer-Fall 09
$82 M |
Trans-Labrador Highway
(includes cost-shared) |
$61.8M |
|
|
Team Gushue Highway
(includes cost-shared) |
|
|
Fall 09 |
CBS By-Pass
(includes cost-shared) |
|
$4 M |
Late Summer 09 |
Torbay By-Pass
(includes cost-shared) |
$10.5M
|
|
|
Vessel Construction (two
ferries) |
$30.0M |
$14.0M |
Fall 09 $25 M |
Kenmount Road Overpass
(includes cost-shared) |
|
|
Spring 10 |
Placentia Lift Bridge
(includes cost-shared) |
|
|
Fall 09/Spring 10
|
Heavy Equipment |
$9.5M |
|
Fall 09 $10 M |
Vessel Refits |
$2.7M |
|
Spring 09 $10.7 M
|
Wharves/Terminals
|
$2.0M |
|
Fall 09 $3.5 M |
Building Maintenance
|
$8.8M |
|
Various $8.7 M |
Health Sector
|
Corner Brook Long-Term Care
Facility |
$19.2M |
|
|
Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Long-Term Care Facility |
$9.3M |
|
|
James Paton Memorial Health
Centre |
|
|
Late Summer 09
|
Labrador West Health Centre
|
|
|
Fall 09 |
Lewisporte Health Centre
|
|
|
Fall 09 |
Flower's Cove Health Centre
|
|
|
Winter 10 |
Health Sciences Centre
Parking Garage |
|
|
June 09 |
Hoyles/Escasoni Complex
|
$1.0M |
|
Late Summer 09 |
Corner Brook Acute Care
Centre |
$1.6M |
|
Late Summer 09 |
Repairs/Maintenance of Health
Facilities |
|
|
June 09/Winter 10 $40M
|
St. John's Centre for
Clinical Research |
$2.3M |
$2.3M |
|
St. Clare's Emergency
Department |
$0.3M |
|
Fall 09 |
Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer
Centre-Expansion |
$0.2M |
|
Fall 09 |
Faculty of Medicine/Genetics
Centre (MUN) |
$4.7M |
|
Fall 09 |
Education Sector - K-12
|
Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Francophone School |
$2.5M |
Nil |
|
L'anse Au Loup School K-12
|
$10.5M |
$3.4M |
|
Paradise #1 School K-6
|
$7.7M |
$7.9M |
|
Paradise #2 School K-6
|
$5.3M |
$9.5M |
|
Torbay School K-6
|
$7.7M |
$7.5M |
|
Baie Verte School K-12
|
|
|
June 09 |
Flower's Cove (Canon Richards
re-development) |
Planning stage |
|
|
St. Anthony School K-12
|
Planning stage |
|
|
Renovations/Maintenance
|
$13.5M |
|
$26.5M |
Port Saunders School K-12
|
$9.8M |
$3.0M |
|
Placentia School 7-12
|
$7.3M |
$5.2M |
|
Port Hope Simpson School K-12
|
|
|
June 09 |
Wesleyville (Lester Pearson
Extension) |
|
|
June 09 |
Clarenville |
Planning stage |
|
|
St. John's, Virginia Park
Elementary (extension/renovation) |
Planning stage |
|
|
Witless Bay - St. Bernard's
Elementary (extension/renovation) |
|
|
June 09 |
Kelligrews - St. Edwards
School (extension/renovation) |
|
|
June 09 |
Mount Pearl - St. Peter's
Junior High (extension/renovation) |
|
|
Summer 09 |
Portugal Cove - Beachy Cove
Elementary Phase II |
|
|
June 09 |
St. Teresa's Elementary
|
Planning stage |
|
|
Carbonear, Davis Elementary -
New School |
Planning stage |
|
|
Upper Gullies Elementary
(extension/renovation) |
|
|
Summer 09 |
St. John's - Roncalli Phase
II |
|
|
June 09 |
Education Sector -
Post-Secondary |
Sir Wilfred Grenfell -
Academic Building
(includes cost-shared) |
$3M |
|
Fall 09 |
College of North Atlantic
Campus (Lab West)
(includes cost-shared) |
|
|
June 09 |
College of North Atlantic
(Seal Cove) (includes cost-shared) |
|
|
Winter 10 |
College of North Atlantic
(Prince Phillip Drive)
(includes cost-shared) |
|
|
June 09/Early Winter 10
|
Municipal Sector
|
Municipal Capital Works
|
$17.6M |
|
Late Summer 09
$9M |
Multi-Year Capital Works
|
$5.0M |
|
Late Summer 09
$20M |
Building Canada Fund
|
$15.0M |
|
Summer 09
$10M |
Canada-NL Strategic
Infrastructure Fund |
$2.7M |
|
Late Summer 09 $2.6M
|
Municipal Rural
Infrastructure Fund |
$8.5M |
|
Late Summer 09
$12.5M |
Other Projects
|
Corner Brook Court
|
$7.0M |
|
|
RNC H.Q. St. John's
|
$6.0M |
|
Fall 09 |
Resource Road Construction
|
$0.3M |
|
Fall 09 |
St. Alban's Aquaculture
|
|
|
June 09 |
Colonial Building
|
$0.7M |
|
Late Summer 09 |
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
Corporation |
$3.1M |
|
Summer/Fall
$25M |
2009 06 11
2:05 p.m.
|