ASSINIBOIA _ A joint investment of more than $45 million from federal, provincial, and local governments will support an increased supply of safe and reliable drinking water, effective wastewater treatment, and cleaner soil for communities across Saskatchewan.
These projects were announced by Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraserand Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Don McMorris.
“We are committed to supporting infrastructure projects that ensure communities can continue growing and thriving,” Fraser said. “We will continue making investments such as today’s for the health, wellness, and sustainability of communities in Saskatchewan and across all of Canada.”
The northwest of the province will see the decommissioning of non-engineered landfill sites for 18 municipalities, along with the redirection of waste to two new solid waste facilities. The new sites will serve 23 communities and are equipped with barriers to contain pollutants, keeping the soil and groundwater safe and clean.
“Saskatchewan is committed to improving infrastructure and providing communities and their residents with the resources and funding to make valued and reliable upgrades,” McMorris said. “The additional funding to make projects like these a reality demonstrates our commitment to growing communities and improving life for our residents, regardless of where they call home in our province. These projects happen thanks to the partnerships from all involved for the betterment of Saskatchewan both today and for generations to come.”
Several other communities will also see infrastructure improvements. These include the decommissioning of landfills that do not adhere to environmental standards in the City of Humboldt, the towns of Wolseley, Duck Lake, and Regina Beach, the Rural Municipality of Excel No. 71, and the villages of Beechy, Hodgeville, Mistatim, Rhein, and Wilcox. In addition, the Town of Eatonia will receive funding for wastewater treatment upgrades, while the Town of Gravelbourg will get upgrades to critical drinking watermains, protecting public health for generations to come.
“Northern municipalities are grateful for these critical Federal and Provincial investments in our regional solid waste management solutions,” Northern Municipal Trust Account Management Board Chairperson Paula Muench said. “Enabling waste diversion to sustainably operate regional facilities supports improvements to resident quality of life and recognizes the infrastructure needs of Saskatchewan’s northern municipalities.”
Funding will also support the decommissioning of the Chelan and Peesane landfills in the Rural Municipality of Bjorkdale No. 426. This work includes designing and constructing final engineered covers and conducting land reclamation activities for future use.
Quick facts
The federal government is investing $18,016,679 through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $15,012,396, and the municipalities are collectively contributing $12,012,621 to their respective projects.
This stream helps build greener communities by contributing to climate change preparedness, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting renewable technologies.
Including today’s announcement, over 190 infrastructure projects under the GIS have been announced in Saskatchewan, with a total federal contribution of more than $385 million and a total provincial contribution of nearly $275 million.
A $45 million investment in green infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan aims to safeguard public health.
