Released on May 24, 2019
Investing in local water and wastewater systems is key to improving people’s quality of life, protecting waterways and positioning communities for growth.
Today, Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Saskatoon Westview MLA David Buckingham on behalf of Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Warren Kaeding, announced funding for three new water and wastewater projects in the province.
In Saskatoon, drinking water storage capacity will be increased and a wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded. In west-central Saskatchewan, a water distribution system will be created in the Rural Municipality (RM) of Snipe Lake and the RM of Newcombe, which includes upgrading the water treatment plant in Eston.
The Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan are each contributing more than $30.4 million to the three projects through the New Building Canada Fund. Recipients are responsible for remaining costs.
“Modern efficient water and wastewater infrastructure is essential to safeguarding the well-being of our families and building the Canada we want for tomorrow,” said Goodale. “By investing in projects such as these in Saskatchewan, we are helping close the gaps in services and ensuring everyone has access to safe reliable drinking water for years to come.”
“The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to be investing more than $30.4 million toward these three projects in our province,” Buckingham said. “These will help position these communities for growth, enhance their key infrastructure, and improve the quality of life.”
“We’re investing in critical infrastructure we need to serve new communities and continue to provide reliable and safe water and wastewater services,” City of Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said. “Thank you to our federal and provincial partners for investing with us for a sustainable future.”
“We are very appreciative of the support this project has received from the federal and provincial governments,” RM of Snipe Lake Reeve and Chair of the Rural 44 Water Pipeline Utility Bill Owens said. “Their contributions allow us to provide a safe, secure and sustainable water supply for rural and urban residents.”
Quick facts:
- Budget 2019, Investing in the middle class, is the Government of Canada’s plan to create more good well-paying jobs, put homeownership within reach of more Canadians, help working people get the training they need to succeed, support seniors, and lay the foundation for national pharmacare.
- Announcements in Budget 2019 build on the government’s Investing in Canada Plan, under which the government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years to build infrastructure in communities across the country.
- $26.9 billion of this funding is supporting green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
- Since 2016, the Government of Canada has approved close to 180 new water and wastewater projects across Saskatchewan.
- With many municipalities across Canada facing serious infrastructure deficits, Budget 2019 proposes a one-time transfer of $2.2 billion through the federal Gas Tax Fund to address short-term priorities in municipalities and First Nations communities.
Associated links:
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For more information, contact:
Ann-Clara Vaillancourt
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
Ottawa
Phone: 613-697-3778
Email: ann-clara.vaillancourt@canada.ca
Dan Palmer
Government Relations
Regina
Phone: 306-787-7151
Email: dan.palmer@gov.sk.ca
Julie Mintenko
City of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Phone: 306-975-3484
Email: mediarelations@saskatoon.ca
Bill Owens
Rural 44 Water Pipeline Utility
Phone: 306-962-3214
Email: rm259@sasktel.net
Media Relations
Infrastructure Canada
Ottawa
Phone: 613-960-9251
Email: infc.media.infc@canada.ca