Chatham-Kent will soon be paying more for services previously covered by the province.

At the AMO conference in Ottawa, Premier Doug Ford announced yesterday that previously delayed cuts to municipal funding, primarily to child care and public health, were being reinstated on January 1st.

The cuts were put on hold after an outcry from municipalities that their budgets had already been set. To help this coming year, Ontario is offering up transitional funding for the 2020 budget process.

Ford also says the province will be opening up the intake for the Community, Culture and Recreation Stream on September 3rd of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

That includes $1 billion for local projects like community centres, sports arenas, and cultural centres, which could be good news for the Chatham-Kent’s plans for a new twin-pad arena.

The ICIP is a federal-provincial partnership, and any projects would also require the green-light from Ottawa.