June 16th, 2025
OWEN SOUND — Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation is investing $1,325,539 for pedestrian infrastructure in the City of Owen Sound through the Connecting Links program. Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers shared this announcement on Monday.
This investment will help fund the rehabilitation of the pedestrian tunnel under Highway 26 and 16th St. East, in the east end of Owen Sound.
“Active transportation is on the rise in Owen Sound and our surrounding areas. In many cases, it has become an economic driver,” said Vickers, the first-term MPP. “I am grateful to Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, led by my colleague the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, for seeing the potential in this project, right here in Owen Sound.”
“Over the next decade, our government is investing nearly $28-billion into highway infrastructure that will support our growing population and fuel our economy as we fight back against U.S. tariffs,” said Minister Sarkaria. “We will continue to protect Ontario by supporting our municipal partners and delivering on our promise to make our province more competitive, more resilient and more self-reliant.”
A connecting link is a designated municipal road or bridge that connects two ends of a provincial highway through a community, or to an international border crossing. This year, the Ontario government is investing $45 million in 29 projects to repair roads and bridges in 27 municipalities across the province. Eligible costs for Connecting Links include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of designated municipal roads and bridges.
Eligible municipalities are encouraged to apply for 2026-27 Connecting Links program funding when the intake opens later this year.