At the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa Monday, Premier Dalton McGuinty announced the province will be dishing out $1.1 billion across the province for municipal infrastructure. Each municipality, as well as upper tier municipalities such as the Region of Niagara, are receiving funding. Niagara Region's regional government will receive about $20 million, while Grimsby will receive $1.148 million, Lincoln will receive $1.042 million and West Lincoln will receive $631,869. Funding was allocated via a per capita formula.

Officials from all three Niagara West municipalities were pleased with the funding allocation, but were unable to determine exactly where the funding will be spent.

Grimsby Mayor Bob Bentley said he was present for the Premier's announcement in Ottawa, but he hasn't seen all of the details yet.

"We welcome any additional funding and will need to review criteria to see where it best fits," said Bentley.

He said the municipality does have some projects it could look at however, including "must-do renovations to Town Hall for accessibility, security and health and safety."

The Town of Lincoln will receive a $1,042,413 share of the provincial investment funding.

"The government is looking at infrastructure needs such as roads and bridges so I'm sure Council will be looking at those types of areas," Director of Finance Bob Spadoni said Monday following the announcement.

"Lincoln has received money in the last couple of years to go towards roads and bridge work so I'm sure we'll just be continuing with that process."

"It comes in handy because we will be starting our budget process in the next month and we will be able to factor that in when looking at 2009 capital needs," Spadoni said, adding the municipality hasn't yet received details of when the money will be received and how it is to be spent.

"For now, we will probably be targeting a lot of it for roads and bridges."

It's tentative until the details are known and Council is brought up to date.

West Lincoln received $631,869 of the $1.1 billion handed out in grant money by the province.

The municipality of 13,167 will welcome the infrastructure funding with open arms said CAO Derrick Thomson.

"We will take this amount into consideration when we start to put together our 2009 capital plan," he explained. "It's great news for us, when we look at it in the context of all our capital needs."

A media release from the province says the funding will help municipalities to "improve roads and bridges, expand public transit and build other municipal projects.