News

Over $1,000,000 to Protect and Support Local Communities

Annual funding will help Northern municipalities repair roads, bridges, and build long-term resilience

NORTH BAY – Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, announced that the Ontario government is investing $15 million in ongoing funding through the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) Fund to help Northern municipalities continue improving local infrastructure and support responsible economic growth in the North. In 2025-26, the Ontario government provided $1,085,000 through the NORDS Fund to ten municipalities across Nipissing to support local infrastructure investments.

“As part of its plan to protect Ontario, NORDS funding is one more way the province is supporting good-paying jobs and building stronger communities across Nipissing,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “This now extended, ongoing investment will help these municipalities strengthen local infrastructure, invest in long-term community growth, and support sustainable development.”

In 2025-26, ten infrastructure projects in Nipissing received NORDS funding, including the following municipalities:

• $128,407 for East Ferris for the repairs to Groulx Road
• $115,135 for Callander for the Hart/Hazel/Glen Road resurfacing
• $103,594 for Powassan for the Hunt Line culvert replacement
• $97,680 for Nipissing for the Stonecutters culvert and Hart Road multi-place culvert
• $87,690 for Mattawa for the resurfacing of Dorion Road
• $74,200 for Chisholm for the Pioneer Road Bridge project
• $69,945 for Papineau-Cameron for the rehabilitation of the Municipal road network
• $60,251 for Calvin for resurfacing Moreau Road
• $54,255 for Mattawan for the rehabilitation of Burk Bridge Drive
• $400,000 for the City of North Bay for the widening of Seymour Street (previously announced)

The NORDS Fund helps municipalities across Northern Ontario invest in vital infrastructure such as roads and bridges, access new economic opportunities through resource development, and help mitigate the impacts of resource development on local infrastructure. Resource development operations, such as mining, forestry, and agriculture, are an important part of the provincial economy, yet they can also disproportionately impact Northern municipal infrastructure.

Municipalities will have an opportunity to submit projects through Transfer Payment Ontario later this summer. The Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth will contact municipalities regarding next steps and provide details on assistance and funding.

The 2026 Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario outlines how the government is advancing its plan to make the province one of the most competitive places to invest and do business in the G7, while building a more resilient and self-reliant economy.

Quick Facts

• All 144 northern Ontario municipalities, as defined under the Places to Grow Act, 2005, are eligible to receive NORDS funding.
• Since its inception in 2021, NORDS has provided $75 million to fund municipal infrastructure projects across the North.
• Funding allocations are determined using household counts in each municipality.
• The NORDS Fund was initially created as a five-year program ending in 2026.
• Since 2021, our government has invested $675 million through combined programs, such as NORDS, the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, to help revitalize infrastructure in Northern Ontario.