SAFA KHAN, Executive Assistant, Constituency Office of Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy MPP
UXBRIDGE: Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge, announced on Friday, October 29th, the Township of Uxbridge will receive up to $36,850 in funding through Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program. The Township of Uxbridge will develop an app to allow trail users to pay for parking and receive notifications of promotions and events at local businesses here in Uxbridge.
This is one of more than 60 projects the Ontario government is supporting, to help diversify local economies, retain skilled workers and create jobs in communities like Uxbridge.
“Through today’s [Friday, October 29th] investment, our government is creating jobs and driving economic recovery at a time when needed most in Uxbridge. By investing in modernizing Uxbridge’s downtown, we are ensuring more opportunities stay in the Township of Uxbridge while removing barriers to investments and economic growth in our rural community,” said MPP Bethlenfalvy.
“We are very pleased to receive this grant and launch this project. We have lots of visitors to the Regional trail network, but few who visit our local shops. This project will allow us to market Uxbridge Township stores and services directly to those visitors as part of a parking permit system. We are thankful for the continued financial support from OMAFRA [Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs] and the Region of Durham [for] our economic development initiatives,” stated Dave Barton, Mayor of Uxbridge.
“Investing in local jobs and economic development in rural communities like Uxbridge will play a critical role in Ontario’s pandemic recovery,” explained Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “As the economy continues to reopen, our targeted funding, through the Rural Economic Development program, will have a very real impact for rural communities across Ontario.”
In addition, the Ontario government is committing $5 million in cost-share funding, under the next intake of the RED program, to help rural communities implement additional economic growth plans, addressing the economic impacts of COVID-19. The new RED intake will open on August 30th.