Ontario Investing Over $2 Million in the Parry Sound District to Protect and Support Northern Communities
April 29, 2026
Annual funding will help 144 northern municipalities repair roads, improve bridges and build long-term resilience
PARRY SOUND DISTRICT — The Ontario government is investing $15 million in ongoing funding through the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund to help northern municipalities continue improving local infrastructure and supporting responsible economic growth in the North.
As part of its plan to protect Ontario, this funding is one more way the province is supporting good-paying jobs, building stronger northern communities, and creating a more competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy.
In 2025-26, the Ontario government provided $2,104,167.29 through the NORDS Fund to 20 municipalities across the Parry Sound District to support investments in local infrastructure.
“Our government is committed to supporting the growth of our northern and rural communities,” said Graydon Smith, MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka. “This fund helps northern municipalities strengthen local infrastructure and invest in their future. I’m pleased to see our government keeping NORDS in place beyond the 2025-26 fiscal year and making it annual funding.”
The NORDS Fund helps municipalities across northern Ontario invest in vital infrastructure such as roads and bridges, access new economic opportunities through resource development, and mitigate the impacts of resource development on local infrastructure. Resource development operations, such as mining, forestry and agriculture, are an important part of the provincial economy, but they can also disproportionately impact northern municipal infrastructure. NORDS helps these municipalities strengthen local infrastructure, invest in long-term community growth and support sustainable development.
“Ontario’s northern communities are an essential part of our province,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “Making NORDS an ongoing fund means northern municipalities can plan, invest with confidence and maintain the critical infrastructure that resource development operations rely on, while ensuring the benefits are shared close to home.”
All 144 northern Ontario municipalities, as defined under the Places to Grow Act, 2005, are eligible to receive NORDS funding. Municipalities will have an opportunity to submit projects through Transfer Payment Ontario later this summer. The Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth will contact municipalities about next steps and provide assistance and funding details.
2025-26 NORDS Fund Allocations in the Parry Sound District
| Municipality | Allocation | Project Name |
| Armour | $96,381.16 | Replacement of North Pickerel Bridge |
| Burk’s Falls | $69,295.43 | Ontario and Victoria Street upgrades |
| Carling | $114,630.66 | Pengally Bay Road improvements |
| Cockburn Island | $53,426.29 | Road rehabilitation |
| Joly | $60,314.94 | Strong-Joly Boundary Road barrier replacement |
| Kearney | $96,994.28 | Chetwynd Road reconstruction and resurfacing |
| Machar | $82,928.46 | Large culvert replacement |
| Magnetawan | $124,693.14 | Bridge #17 Miller |
| McDougall | $120,617.66 | Bunny Trail repairs and rehabilitation, Phase 2 |
| McKellar | $109,328.93 | Hurdville Road |
| McMurrich/Monteith | $81,125.15 | Yearley Road improvements 2025 |
| Parry Sound | $163,788.92 | Continued rehabilitation of Bowes Street, Joseph Street, Church Street, and the corner of Wood Street and Isabella Street extension |
| Perry | $112,250.29 | Granite application on Fern Glen Road |
| Ryerson | $72,721.72 | Peggs Mountain Road resurfacing |
| Seguin | $232,098.34 | Oastler Park Drive rehabilitation |
| South River | $69,187.23 | Industrial Access Road rehabilitation |
| Strong | $85,958.02 | Lakeshore Drive rehabilitation |
| Sundridge | $68,465.90 | Rehabilitation of William Street, Park Street and Market Street |
| The Archipelago | $170,569.37 | North Shore Road rehabilitation |
| Whitestone | $119,391.40 | Wahwashkesh, Edgewood and East Townline Road |
Since its inception in 2021, NORDS has provided $75 million to fund municipal infrastructure projects across the North.
“Strong municipalities are the backbone of Ontario. This $15 million annual investment through the NORDS Fund will help northern communities build modern, critical infrastructure and ensure families and businesses in the North have what they need to grow and succeed,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “This is part of our plan to protect Ontario and build the most competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy in the G7.”
The 2026 Budget: A Plan to Protect Ontario outlines how the government is advancing its plan to protect Ontario by making the province one of the most competitive places to invest and do business in the G7, while building a more resilient and self-reliant economy.
Quick Facts
- All 144 northern Ontario municipalities, as defined under the Places to Grow Act, 2005, are eligible to receive NORDS funding.
- Funding allocations are determined using household counts in each municipality.
- The NORDS program will fund infrastructure projects related to resource development, such as road rehabilitation or bridge improvements connected to mining, forestry or agriculture.
- The NORDS Fund was initially created as a five-year program ending in 2026.
- Since 2021, our government has invested $675 million through combined programs, such as NORDS, the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, to help revitalize infrastructure in northern Ontario.
Quotes
“The continuation of the NORDS program for the next three years is a critical investment in the future of northern Ontario. NORDS has proven to be a highly impactful tool for our municipalities, helping to unlock local economic opportunities, strengthen infrastructure and support sustainable growth across the North. We thank Minister Pirie for his leadership and the Government of Ontario for recognizing the importance of this program and responding to the needs of northern communities.”
— Rick Dumas, President, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association
“FONOM is very pleased to see the NORDS program continuing, as it has been a priority we have long advanced with the province. This program plays a key role in helping northern municipalities address longstanding infrastructure gaps while supporting communities experiencing growth tied to resource development. The ability to stack funding over multiple years is particularly important, as it allows municipalities to move forward with larger infrastructure projects that would otherwise be out of reach. This flexibility strengthens municipal financial planning and ensures communities are better positioned to support economic development and future growth.”
— Dave Plourde, President, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities
“This investment is about working hand in hand with our municipal partners to get more shovels in the ground for housing and the infrastructure that supports growth. By strengthening roads, bridges and water systems across northern Ontario, we’re creating the right conditions to build new homes, grow local industries, support good-paying jobs and build a stronger economy today, while setting the province up for long-term success.”
— Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
“Our government is supporting northern communities with historic infrastructure investments delivered through initiatives including the annual NORDS Fund, the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program. As part of our capital plan, we are continuing to build and renew critical infrastructure to strengthen communities, keep workers on the job and protect Ontario.”
— Todd McCarthy, Acting Minister of Infrastructure
Additional Resources
- 2026 Ontario Budget
- 2025-26 Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund Quotes