A recent visit by officials with Infrastructure Canada did not result in a timeline for Bridgewater’s Smart Cities funding.
Representatives recently toured the town after Bridgewater won the $5-million Smart Cities Challenge prize in May.
Town staff have been working through contract negotiations on the contribution agreement with the federal representatives to determine how much they will receive in annual installments for their Energy Poverty Reduction program.
Mayor David Mitchell says officials left town understanding how their program could help residents and businesses.
“They toured Bridgewater extensively using the bus and walking around,” said Mitchell.
“They did see there is a need for this project to move along, so I hope that translates into a funding stream that will best work to make that achievable.”
Mitchell says town council set funding aside so they’re not desperate for money.
The full Energy Poverty Reduction program will take time to set up, with the town expecting to begin taking applications next year or 2021.
The program will help the town hire a team of experts to assist residents in making their properties highly energy efficient.
Mayor David Mitchell says they still have work to be done before the program ramps up.
“We’re not in a rush,” he said.”
“We know there will be a date when we need it, and so does Infrastructure Canada, but its not today. We’re good to go and will continue working with them to make sure we get it right.”
