A $45 million investment in green infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan aims to safeguard public health

REGINA, SK, March 26, 2024 /CNW/ - 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 today by Minister Sean Fraser and Minister Don McMorris.

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.

Find out more about each of these projects and how they are going to benefit the environment around these communities across the province for years to come. 

"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."

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

"Saskatchewan is committed to improving infrastructure and providing communities and their residents with the resources and funding to make valued and reliable upgrades. 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."

The Honourable Don McMorris, Saskatchewan's Minister of Government Relations 

"Northern municipalities are grateful for these critical Federal and Provincial investments in our regional solid waste management solutions. 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."

Paula Muench, Chairperson, Northern Municipal Trust Account Management Board

• 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 Green Infrastructure Stream have been announced in Saskatchewan, with a total federal contribution of more than $385 million and a total provincial contribution of nearly $275 million.
• Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day?ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, to environmental threats to our water and land.
• On December 18, 2023, the federal government launched the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which highlights the need for a collaborative, region-specific approach to sustainability, focusing on strengthening the coordination of federal programs, and initiatives with significant investments. This Framework is a first step in a journey that will bring together multiple stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal department that diversifies the economy across the Canadian prairies, has dedicated $100 million over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas identified by Prairie stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable, and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and Canada.
• Infrastructure Canada is supporting the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies that better meet their needs.
• Federal funding is conditional on fulfilling all requirements related to consultation with Indigenous groups and environmental assessment obligations.

Backgrounder: A $45 million investment in green infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan aims to safeguard public health 

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html

Green Infrastructure Stream
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/gi-iv-eng.html 

Federal infrastructure investments in Saskatchewan
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-sk-eng.html

Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

Building a Green Prairie Economy Act
https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.88/page-1.html

Building a Green Prairie Economy
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/green-prairie-economy.html 

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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada