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.
“We are committed to supporting infrastructure projects that ensure communities can continue growing and thriving. We will continue making investments such as today’s for the health, wellness, and sustainability of communities in Saskatchewan and across all of Canada,” said Sean Fraser, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
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.
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.
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.
“Northern municipalities are grateful for these critical Federal and Provincial investments in our regional solid waste management solutions,” said Paula Muench, chairperson of the Northern Municipal Trust Account Management Board. “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.”
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.
For further information, visit: Green Infrastructure Stream
Featured image credit: Government of Saskatchewan
