Over $150M available for water, wastewater and public transit systems in Newfoundland and Labrador

The Honourable Judy Foote, federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, were in Bay Roberts on Thursday (July 8) to celebrate the signing of an agreement that will mean over $150 million in cost-shared municipal infrastructure projects moving forward this year. Minister Foote made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

Over $150 million in cost-shared municipal funding has been made available to communities in Newfoundland and Labrador to support water, wastewater and public transit systems, as the result of an agreement to implement the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund and the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund in the province. The Federal Government is contributing a total of $75 million; the Provincial Government is contributing $44 million, and the remainder will be provided by the recipient municipalities.

The announcement was made in Bay Roberts by Judy Foote, federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Dwight Ball, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“The Government of Canada recognizes that strong partnerships with all orders of government are necessary to support infrastructure and create good, well-paying jobs for Canadians. This agreement will allow communities across Newfoundland and Labrador to grow and prosper by providing them with funds to help address their specific infrastructure priorities,” said Foote.

The agreement provides more than $140 million through the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund for water and sewer system improvements in communities throughout the province. Once complete, the projects will help ensure the people of Newfoundland and Labrador continue to enjoy clean, reliable drinking water while protecting the surrounding environment. Other investments under this program will support improvements to existing distribution and collection systems, and upgrades that promote community sustainability and growth.

Through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, more than $10 million will be provided to projects to make public transit services more accessible and efficient in the province. This will help support strong, inclusive communities that are well prepared to meet the economic and environmental challenges of the future.

“Our government continues to work with our federal and municipal partners to identify priority municipal infrastructure projects and get the work started as early as possible. I am very pleased to see more than 130 Clean Water and Wastewater Fund projects moving forward, as well as the improvements to public transit infrastructure in St. John’s and Corner Brook,” said Joyce.

QUICK FACTS

• More than $150 million is being made available for water, wastewater and public transit projects in Newfoundland and Labrador through the federal-provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund and the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
• The agreement announced today will provide Newfoundland and Labrador municipalities and public transit organizations with about $75 million in federal funding over the next three years – $70 million for clean water and wastewater treatment projects and nearly $5 million will go to public transit projects.
• Combined with $44 million from the Provincial Government, and funding from municipalities, this means more than $150 million will go to infrastructure projects in the province.
• This funding is part of the first phase of Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada’s $120-billion plan to support public infrastructure across the country over the next 10 years.
• Phase 1 of Investing in Canada will provide well over $10 billion in immediate investments to support public transit systems, green infrastructure projects, and social infrastructure projects. Details on Phase 2 of Investing in Canada will be announced over the next year.
• Under this agreement, the Government of Canada has made its funding retroactive to April 1, 2016, so projects can proceed without delay to ensure a productive construction season.