Safe Restart Agreement supports British Columbia transit services

July 23, 2020 – North Vancouver, British Columbia

Helping communities recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a key part of the Safe Restart Agreement between the federal government and the provinces and territories.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced that $2 billion in federal funding—to be matched by provincial and territorial governments—will be made available to cities and towns across Canada. The funding will support front-line workers and critical municipal services as we keep people safe during the economic restart.

And to help cities keep their transit systems running so that Canadians can get to work and home to their families safely, the Government of Canada has also agreed to match up to $1.8 billion of provincial and territorial funding to support local public transit. For British Columbia, this means an additional $540 million in federal transit funding, which Minister Wilkinson announced today.

The Safe Restart Agreement is designed to support the economy and take the initial steps to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Essential, front-line workers need good public transit; parents need child care; public health must be able to track and contain disease outbreaks; everyone requires personal protective equipment; and vulnerable communities—including seniors—need enhanced support as Canada gradually reopens while containing the spread of COVID-19.These practical and essential services delivered by cities and towns across the country are among the seven priority areas in the $19 billion Safe Restart Agreement announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on July 16.