Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) Community Stream
The Government of Canada in their budget 2026 has rebranded the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF). The former CCBF program now falls under the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF) as the Community Stream.
The Community stream remains the same and is a stable, predictable, and indexed source of funding provided up front to Provinces and territories who, in turn, flow this funding to their communities. The funding allows communities to make strategic investments in essential infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, public transit, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and recreational facilities. The BCSF-CS provides predictable and flexible funding across 19 different project categories:
| public transit | wastewater infrastructure | drinking water | solid waste management |
| community energy systems | local roads and bridges | capacity building | highways |
| local and regional airports | short-line rail | short-sea shipping | resilience |
| broadband and connectivity | culture | tourism | sport |
| recreation | fire halls | brownfield redevelopment |
Municipalities choose how to invest BCSF-CS in their communities based on funding criteria. Since 2005, the Government of Canada’s BCSF-CS program has invested $294 million in PEI infrastructure.
What’s New
PEI and Canada renewed the CCBF agreement (BCSF-CS) for another 10 years – from 2024 to 2034. Canada will be investing $94.5 million in the first five years of the agreement.
Funding
Municipalities are allocated funds every five years adjusted to population census data.
- Direct Allocation Fund for municipalities that have centralized water and wastewater services. Eight PEI municipalities are eligible. Funding for larger communities is based on population and smaller ones receive $100,000 per year.
- Notional Allocation Fund for municipalities without centralized water and wastewater services
Municipalities, eligible non-profit, for-profit and NGO organizations can apply for funding
- Municipal Strategic Component is an application-based program with applications due by the third Friday in March and fourth Friday in September.
- Wastewater and drinking water projects that significantly help communities, county or province are prioritized for funding.
- Fall 2025 Municipal Strategic Component Awarded Projects:
| Applicant | Project Title | MSC Contribution Amount |
| Bordan-Carleton | Sewer Lagoon Improvements | $ 288,750.00 |
| O’Leary | Lagoon Upgrades Phase II | $ 2,506,218.00 |
The PEI Infrastructure Secretariat informs municipalities about funding allocations, distributes the funds, and informs them about deadlines for the application-based funding and administers that part of the program.
Contact the PEI Infrastructure Secretariat by phone at 902-368-6637. You will hear back within 48 business hours.
BCSF-CS is the former CCBF and Federal Gas Tax Fund.