Kitchener Mayor Vrbanovic Welcomes Budget 2025 Investments in Cities

Kitchener, ON - Late Tuesday, the Government of Canada released their 2025 budget, titled Canada Strong. The budget, presented by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance and National Revenue, introduced new investments in housing, infrastructure and communities that directly impact Kitchener’s prosperity.

 

On behalf of the City of Kitchener, Mayor Berry Vrbanovic welcomed the budget’s direction and its emphasis on strengthening cities and communities.

 

“Budget 2025-26 arrives at a critical time. It recognizes the need to make life more affordable for Canadians while committing to the infrastructure and housing investments that cities like ours depend on,” said Mayor Vrbanovic. “I would like to congratulate Minister Champagne, on a budget that recognizes the importance of Canada’s cities and communities while focusing on shifting our economy toward strength and resilience.”

 

Tuesday’s budget announced the new Build Communities Strong Fund, with $51 billion over 10 years and $3 billion annually starting in 2026-27. This fund will support local infrastructure projects that are critical to housing, productivity, trade, and resilience.

 

“We are grateful to the federal government for making significant commitments to infrastructure investments that will support communities like Kitchener, and help stimulate the economy,” added Mayor Vrbanovic. “As one of Canada’s largest cities, Kitchener is experiencing strong demand for housing, business investment, and trade-enabling infrastructure. Today’s investments are an important step in helping make Canada and Kitchener more resilient in responding to a changing geo-political landscape.” 

 

Minister Champagne also used today’s budget to confirm their focus on Build Canada Homes, a new agency that will bring together public and private partners to help build more homes, faster. Affordable housing is a key priority for Kitchener, and the City welcomes more investments and innovation to achieve our mutual goals to build housing faster.

 

“Additionally, eliminating GST on homes priced at $1 million or less will help Kitchener residents afford their first home,” said Mayor Vrbanovic. “We’re building Kitchener together and look forward to working with our federal partners to ensure that the residents and businesses of our community have the tools they need to build housing, strengthen trade corridors, enhance climate resilience, and support the economic growth vital for Kitchener’s future,” Mayor Vrbanovic added. 

 

While welcoming today’s budget areas of focus, Kitchener also continues to call on the federal and provincial governments to work with municipalities to create a long-term fiscal plan for municipal infrastructure. This is supported through our partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and municipalities across Canada who continue to advocate for these needed changes in long-term investments.

 

For more information:  

 

Shannon Weber

Chief of Staff 

City of Kitchener 

519-904-5776

shannon.weber@kitchener.ca