Jim Carr, Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies and Saskatchewan’s Government Relations Minister Don McMorris, announced more than $81.2 million in joint funding for 23 infrastructure projects across the province on June 22.
The projects are funded under the Community, Culture, Recreation and Green Infrastructure Streams of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
Investments in the north include in the Northern Village of La Ronge where plans are to decommission four landfills in the communities of Brabant, Weyakwin, Timber Bay, and Missinipe in the Lac la Ronge area. The project will also include the development of the solid waste handling sites to facilitate the transfer of solid waste to the Lac la Ronge Regional landfill.
The federal contribution is $1,479,380, the provincial contribution is $1,232,693 and the local contribution is $986.377.
In Nipawin the money will be used to decommission the BARWA ( Boreal Area Regional Waste Authority) landfill, the federal investment is $1,421,742, the provincial investment is $1,184,666 and the local investment is $947,946.
In the RM of Torch River the investment will increase the structural capacity to handle the spring flooding, and replace aging or damaged culverts in different locations. The federal investment is $176,966, the provincial investment is $147,457 and the local investment is $117,992.
Esterhazy, Unity, Meadow Lake and other communities will benefit from improved access to reliable potable water services. Wastewater treatment facilities will be upgraded and expanded in Humboldt, Oxbow and Grenfell. Other communities will benefit from projects that deal with the decommissioning of landfills or flood prevention projects. Recreation projects include upgrades to the Rexentre Arena in Fort Qu’Appelle used by many communities in the area.
Providing communities with reliable and sustainable infrastructure is a shared priority for both governments.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $44.3 million in these projects. For projects requiring consultations with Indigenous groups, funding is conditional on all consultation requirements being met. The Government of Saskatchewan is also contributing over $36.9 million toward these projects. Contributions by recipients toward their respective projects are $29.5 million. In total, this represents a combined infrastructure investment of more than $110.7 million. Funding recipients are responsible for any additional project costs.
This is an example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” Carr said in a release.
“The $44 million in federal funding announced today, along with the provincial and municipal funding, will help ensure communities across Saskatchewan have reliable services and recreation infrastructure for years to come. The funding announced today will help communities build back better, create jobs, and build cleaner, more inclusive communities.”
“The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to invest more than $36 million to support upgrades to water and wastewater systems, improve recreational facilities and decommission historic landfills to safeguard the environment,” McMorris said.
“These infrastructure projects will help protect local economies, which are continuing to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the end, the ICIP program and these projects across the province are building better, stronger and safer communities for the future of Saskatchewan.”
To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a COVID-19 Resilience Stream has been added to the over $33 billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories. Through the COVID-19 Resilience Stream, over $3 billion is available to provide provinces and territories with added flexibility to fund quick-start, short-term projects.
In Saskatchewan, the Government of Canada has invested more than $924 million in over 520 infrastructure projects since 2015 under the Investing in Canada Plan.
