As part of Ottawa’s $3 billion COVID-19 Resilience stream, the federal government is injecting an additional $120 million into the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to support ventilation improvement projects to public buildings across the country.
According to Infrastructure Canada, this new funding “will support provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments and Indigenous organizations to fund projects whose primary purpose is to increase outdoor air intake and/or increase air cleaning in order to help reduce the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.”
Projects covered by the fund include the repair or replacement of HVAC units, increased maintenance to optimize existing systems, and “other interventions” that result in improved IAQ “such as the installation of operable windows or portable air filtration units.”
How can members qualify for funding? A project to improve air ventilation in a public building will be considered eligible under the following criteria:
- Serve populations that are more susceptible to poor outcomes if they contract COVID-19 (e.g. long term care homes, friendship centers, shelters).
- With high occupancies (e.g. schools, congregate living housing).
- Where activities take place that are at higher risk of infectious aerosol particle generation (e.g. recreation or sports centers).
- Remain open through lockdown, or are the last to close when restrictions are increased, in order to continue to provide services (e.g. libraries, buildings used as emergency shelters).
- Have been identified by public health authorities as higher risk for outbreaks based on local conditions.
The following program requirements also apply to project eligibility:
- Project size and cost-sharing requirements will follow the COVID-19 Resilience stream.
- Projects must be completed by March 31st, 2023.
- Project costs for ventilation improvement projects are retroactively eligibility for funding and will apply to any eligible expenditures incurred after December 1, 2020. This is a time-limited parameter that applies to projects approved by March 31, 2022.
If members wish to submit a project for approval under the COVID-19 Resilience stream, please visit the following link to see the application process.