Stratford, Ontario residents will be the recipients of the latest government funding into the electric vehicle infrastructure of the country, with the announcement of $160,000 federal investment in the City of Stratford to install 23 EV chargers in public places across Stratford. The chargers will all be available by January 2025. The project also received $317,428 from the City of Stratford. The total project cost is $483,428.
“I’m so pleased with the support from the National Resources Canada regarding the city’s work on increasing the number of EV stations in our community, Said Martin Ritsma, Mayor, City of Stratford. “The $160,000 grant will assist us in the installation of a total of 23 EV stations in Stratford by 2025, one of which will have Level 3 fast charging capacity.”
These investments are supporting the establishment of a coast-to-coast network of chargers in local areas where Canadians live, work and play, while federal rebates of up to $5,000 are helping more Canadians make the switch to an EV.
“The use of the EV charging stations will benefit our local residents and the 1.5 million plus yearly visitors to our city. This project certainly blends well with our city’s strategic priorities, which includes the 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,” said Ritsma.
Additional investments in decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sector are clearly on the way, as Minister Alghabra has announced two forthcoming calls for proposals. The first will seek projects for Stream 1 of the nearly $200-million Green Freight Program, which will help fleets improve energy efficiency and reduce both fuel costs and emissions. The second will launch a new medium- and heavy-duty stream under the Zero Emission Vehicle Awareness Initiative, supporting outreach, education and capacity-building activities to enable greater adoption of zero-emission vehicles and lower-emission alternatives across the sector in all regions of the country.
“We’re making electric vehicles more affordable and charging more accessible where Canadians live, work and play,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “Investing in more EV chargers, like the ones announced today in Stratford, Ontario, will put more Canadians in the driver’s seat on the road to a net-zero future and help achieve our climate goals.”
