Some federal funding is going toward the installation of new electric vehicle charging stations in the Guelph area and across Canada.
An announcement was made outside the headquarters of Skyline Real Estate Holdings in Guelph on Thursday. Over $12 million from the Zero-Emission Vehicle Program is going to three organizations.
Skyline is receiving $4.2 million for the installation of 852 Level 2 chargers at their properties in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and British Columbia. The City of Guelph is receiving $420,000 to install 24 Level 2 charging stations and four fast chargers by the end of 2023.
“It is an exciting moment in terms of making it easier to purchase an electric vehicle,” said Coun. Dominique O’Rourke, who was representing Mayor Cam Guthrie at the announcement. “It takes away that range anxiety and helps the city reach their net zero goals. There will be lots and lots of net-zero options and we are heading in the right direction.”
O’Rourke said the city is also moving ahead when it comes to converting its fleet of gas-powered vehicles into electric vehicles.
“We have 20 hybrid and 10 electric,” O’Rourke said. “We just added three ice resurfacers that are fully electric. As the current fleet come to the end of their life, we will replace them with electric vehicles wherever possible.”
Alectra Utilities received around $7.4 million in funding for 905 Level 2 and 72 Level 3 charging stations across Ontario.
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“Alectra received federal funding a few years ago to create a smart grid in seven communities across Ontario, including here in Guelph,” said Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield, who was also at the announcement and added that another $310,000 is being invested to install another 62 EV stations.
In addition, there will be four EV stations at the Shell gas station on Watson Parkway thanks to a $200,000 investment. There will be a total of 90 charging stations for electric vehicles up and running in Guelph before the new year.
“This is showing Canadians are taking the lead in not only electric vehicles but also climate change initiatives,” Longfield said.
Thursday’s announcement is part of a larger one that will be made Friday with Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson where over 1,860 charging stations will be installed across Canada through these initiatives.
It comes on the heels of new electric battery manufacturing plants being built in St. Thomas and in Windsor. Those facilities are receiving millions of dollars in funding from upper levels of government.
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