Health care facilities, schools, roads and bridges, and the province’s information technology systems will benefit from $74.5 million in the 2015-16 Capital Budget, Finance, Energy and Municipal Affairs Minister Wes Sheridan says.

“We are building on our accomplishments of our stimulus budget years that helped Prince Edward Island avoid the global recession,” said Minister Sheridan. “This budget will ensure further improvements are made to schools and health facilities, while investing in information technology and the highway network.”

The 2015-16 Capital Budget represents an increase of $0.8 million from the 2014-15 plan. This increase was needed to access funding from the federal Build Canada Program, which will be made available to provinces for infrastructure projects over the next 10 years.

This Capital Budget includes:

• a continuation of the Manor Replacement Program, with funding for a new Riverview Manor in Montague and a new long-term care facility in Tyne Valley;

• funding for the PEI Youth Recovery Centre in Summerside;

• continuing work on the Palliative Care Centre;

• $1.5 million for a new 12-bed youth mental health unit in Charlottetown;

• renovations to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital day surgery will be completed at a total cost of $8 million;

• continuing work on the Souris K-12 school;

• continuing work on additions to École François-Buote;

• investments will continue to improve IT infrastructure for students;

• $5 million for the Education system to refresh desktop computers and migrate to the Windows 7 operating system;

• a $6 million investment in software across government to increase efficiency and productivity in the next year, in addition to expenditures for Education and Health; and

• $35 million for projects to further improve the highway system, including the Souris Bridge and the Trans Canada Highway (an increase of $10 million in planned spending compared to last year).

“The investments we have made since 2007 in our manors, school, hospitals and roads will benefit Islanders of all ages,” Minister Sheridan said. “We look forward to building on our previous successes to ensure that Islanders continue to have high-quality infrastructure available to them for years to come. Government remains committed to balancing the provincial budget while protecting critical programs and services for Islanders.”

For more information, visit: www.gov.pe.ca/budget