Minister Wilkinson Announces Federal Support for EV Charging in Stratford, Ontario

Canadians are taking action to fight climate change and deliver clean air and a strong economy.

Reducing pollution from the transportation sector is critical to Canada achieving its climate targets. That's why the Government of Canada is making it easier for Canadians to purchase, charge and drive electric vehicles (EVs) in Stratford, Ontario, and across the country while saving money.

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $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.

Since 2016, the Government of Canada has invested a historic $1 billion to make EVs more affordable and chargers more accessible for Canadians. 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 Government of Canada continues to invest in decarbonizing the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle sector. Earlier today, Minister Alghabra 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.

Budget 2022 delivered an additional $1.7 billion to extend the incentive program until March 2025 and to expand the types of vehicle models eligible under the program, which would include more vans, trucks, and SUVs. Canada is advancing toward the deployment of an additional 50,000 new chargers supported by $400 million in investments and $500 million in financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. 

These investments are yet another step in reaching Canada's target of ensuring all new passenger vehicles sold in Canada are zero-emission by 2035. And just like investments in everything from clean technology to nature protection, today's announcement is part of achieving Canada's ambitious climate change goals to build a clean and prosperous future for all Canadians.