by david fleischer

"It reminds us that to get things done we have to work together," Newmarket-Aurora MP Lois Brown said, announcing million of dollars in federal-provincial funds for the towns' projects.

"Now, more than ever, we need to invest in quality infrastructure to create a strong province and country," she said, touting the government's recently-announced economic stimulus package.

Ms Brown and Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen donned hard hats to celebrate the announcement at the Old Town Hall Thursday alongside staff and local councillors with levels, sledgehammers and other tools of the trade.

The historic building will receive up to $3.4 million for renovations, the most noticeable of which involve making it accessible, including elevators and renovated washrooms. The HVAC system also gets an overhaul.

While the current decor at the Town Hall is marked by wood panelling and other hallmarks of the 20th century, the fixes should restore some of its 1880s grandeur.

A drop ceiling upstairs will be removed, exposing the original tin roof.

"It will become the community place it was meant to be," Mr. Van Bynen said.

The mayor uses the hall for regular meetings and he hopes a renovated hall will be used much more often and can bring increased business to Main Street.

"This grand old lady deserves to be back to her former glory," he said.

Aurora also receives up to $3.2 million for rehabilitating its wastewater infrastructure.

Both municipalities submitted their projects for a list of eligible "shovel-ready" projects and Ms Brown said she lobbied to make sure they got what they needed.

The projects are among 289 across the province, with funds split evenly by the governments of Canada and Ontario. Municipalities pick up the balance of costs.

While many are waiting to see how fast the government can cut red tape and let infrastructure funding flow, these are projects that can start with the construction season.

"(Infrastructure Minister) John Baird told me to tell them the money is in the bank. Immediately," Ms Brown said.

She is now looking into whether either municipality has facilities eligible for the recently-announced Recreation Infrastructure Canada Fund.

The federal government announced $500 million over two years for renovating aging hockey rinks, many of which were built during in the 1960s, ahead of the Centennial.

"I think that we've got a couple of them here in Newmarket and Aurora we could look at applying for," Ms Brown said, citing the Aurora Community Centre as a potential candidate.