Minto to receive $2.67 million for Arthur Street reconstruction
Funds to come from province's Connecting Links program
MINTO – The Town of Minto is set to receive over $2.67 million for the reconstruction of Arthur Street West in Harriston.
The funding is through the Ministry of Transportation’s Connecting Links program, which helps municipalities maintain and improve roads/bridges that connect to provincial highways.
This year, the province plans to spend $46 million on Connecting Links projects throughout Ontario.
The reconstruction of Arthur Street West (Highway 23) from Elora Street (Highway 9) to 50 metres west of Wilson Street in Harriston is to cost the town approximately $3.27 million.
“The actual figure could be higher or lower depending on the results of the tenders,” town treasurer Gordon Duff told the Advertiser.
The roads portion of the project is budgeted for $3.05 million for reconstruction, plus the top layers of asphalt.
The rest of the budget goes to replacing water and wastewater services where necessary, Duff added.
Town staff applied for the grant in mid-2024.
“In order to apply, it costs money to hire an engineer, provide drawings and quite often you’re not successful,” Mayor Dave Turton told the Advertiser.
“You win some, you lose some.”
Turton noted staff also filed a number of grant applications throughout 2025 and are hopeful about those based on the latest funding approval.
“Quite honestly, without the support of our provincial government we wouldn’t be able to do a lot of these projects,” Turton said.
“Arthur Street is a very busy highway. It’s the extension of Highway 23 from Palmerston to Harriston.”
Asked if the construction will affect local businesses, the mayor said it will absolutely affect two or three on the stretch of road.
“But that’s one of the keys to hiring a good contractor. The contractor has to be well aware that these businesses have to stay open and operate after this construction is finished,” Turton said.
He noted the town doesn’t always have to go with the least expensive contractor: “You pick the one that is going to do the best for your community.”
Staff hopes the construction will begin in 2026 but said it could fall into 2027 as there is no requirement to spend all the funding this year.
“We like to always give our MPP Matthew Rae a big boost,” Turton said of the Perth-Wellington representative.
“I think we’re very fortunate to have a young person ... born and raised on the farm who knows about small towns and rural areas.”
Rae announced the funding on Feb. 2, stating, “Good roads are essential to strong rural communities – connecting people to jobs, health care and markets here at home and around the world.”
He added, “I will continue to work with our municipal partners to protect our communities and ensure rural Ontario gets its fair share of provincial infrastructure funding.”
Eligible costs for the program include construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of designated municipal roads and bridges.
