Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF)
The CCRF aims to help communities across Canada build and improve community infrastructure projects so that they can rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CCRF’s purpose is to support not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and other community groups, as well as Indigenous communities: build new community infrastructure and revitalize existing assets; bring people back to public spaces safely as health measures ease; and create jobs and stimulate local economies.
The CCRF will provide support for the following project types:
- Adapting and reimagining/re-envisioning community spaces and maintaining accessibility standards so that they may safely be used by communities in accordance with social distancing and local public health guidelines to help revitalize areas and support future planning efforts. Projects could include community transformation infrastructure to help rejuvenate communities, downtown cores, main streets, and shared spaces. Examples include projects such as farmers markets, community centers, community museums, cultural centers, parks, community gardens, green houses, recreational trails and facilities, bike paths, outdoor sport facilities, libraries, waterfront spaces, and tourism facilities.
- Building (i.e. the construction of) or improving community infrastructure through the expansion, improvement, or creation of community spaces to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their communities and regions. Examples include supporting economic growth by investing in infrastructure for existing
community assets for public benefit that have a local community impact, multi-purpose centers, co-working spaces, and other similar spaces while ensuring that post COVID-19 health and safety requirements are addressed.
Four priorities have been identified for the CCRF. The priorities are listed in order of importance:
- Downtown core and main street
- Core: The dissemination areas encompassing the highest job density based on the place of work information.
- Downtown neighbourhood: Area composed of the downtown core, and encompassing one-kilometer adjacent area surrounding the core (based on the Census classification).
- Main street: Includes not only the highest job density areas, but also important commercial areas.
- Outdoor space
- Includes open-air facility or space (e.g. anything without doors or windows). In addition to parks, sport facilities (e.g., outdoor ball fields, rinks), and recreational trails, open air markets like farmers markets that aren’t fully enclosed/roofed may qualify.
- Green projects
- Projects that support a clean growth economy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. This could include, for example, projects to mobilize communities that want to reduce their carbon footprint (e.g. support for the development of a green local development plan, support to local businesses for local circular economy projects, support for the construction of community greenhouses), with a special focus on Indigenous communities.
- Projects that make the community space more energy efficient (e.g., encouraging new build to net zero standards), lower carbon (e.g., electrification), more resilient (e.g., more resistance to extreme climate events like floods), and higher performing (i.e., better results with same or fewer resources resulting in less inputs and/or waste).
- Accessibility
- Projects that intend to improve accessibility, as well as all new builds, that will meet or exceed the highest published accessibility standard as defined by the requirements in the Canadian Standards Association's Technical Standard Accessible Design for the Built Environment (CAN/CSA B651-18) or the most recent standard, in addition to provincial or territorial building codes, and relevant municipal by-law.
The fund has a national investment of $500 million over the span of two years. The maximum amount per project shall not exceed $750,000. The maximum contribution rate for eligible project costs shall not normally exceed 75%. However, for assistance provided to an Indigenous not-for-profit organization or a band, the maximum contribution rate for eligible costs may be up to 100%.
A one-time special scheduled intake will focus on eligible projects that are ready to proceed. Initial screening will begin during the four-week period. Assessment of applications will begin on July 23, 2021, 23:59 PDT. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications by this date. Should there be remaining funding after the scheduled intake period, applications will continue to be accepted and funded on a continuous intake basis over the next two years or until such a time as the allocated funding is fully distributed.
Please refer to the application guide pertaining to your region (northern Ontario or southern Ontario) for eligibility requirements.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
Northern Ontario (FedNor):
http://fednor.gc.ca/eic/site/fednor-fednor.nsf/eng/h_fn04606.html
Southern Ontario (FedDev):
http://www.feddevontario.gc.ca/eic/site/723.nsf/eng/h_02647.html?OpenDocument