BARRIE -- Barrie's mayor is applauding a plan by the federal government to invest $30-billon in creating a national childcare program.

The plan was part of the Trudeau Liberals' pandemic budget unveiled on Monday. The goal is to bring the cost of childcare down to $10 a day by 2026.

The announcement is encouraging for parents from coast to coast, but Mayor Jeff Lehman says it's especially welcome in a young city like Barrie.

"We have among the highest proportion of kids in our population of any major city in the country," Lehman said Monday.

"People move to Barrie for the quality of life…often moving here to find housing here that fits their family. And then the challenges that

come along with trying to find childcare are very, very real."

Lehman is also pleased to see investments in long-term are affordable and supportive housing and extensions for COVID-19 relief programs for workers and business owners.

Lehman notes the Liberals opted not to stimulate the economy through sweeping infrastructure investments as past recession-era budgets have done.

But he says municipalities will be able to do more on that front with a doubling of gas tax revenues announced before the budget.