Investment into more than 70 water and wastewater projects will mean improvements across New Brunswick after the federal and provincial governments announced funding on Friday in Chipman, N.B.
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A total of 74 projects will see changes with $57.1 million spent on system replacements, water treatments and reservoir upgrades. Some communities, including Saint John, Grand Falls and Caraquet, are receiving funding for more than one project. Chipman, where the announcement was made, is receiving $1.7 million in federal funding and almost $900,000 from the province for the replacement of a wastewater treatment facility.
Chipman Mayor Carson Atkinson said the news is welcomed and needed.
“When we had consultants come in and look at our current wastewater treatment, they said that our system might work for a day or two years before we could have a calamatous shutdown,” Atkinson said.
Ottawa will contribute about $38.069 million – 50 per cent of the total eligible cost – while the province will provide $19.035 million, according to a release.
Premier Brian Gallant said the investment will help bring more people to the communities, while improving the province’s economy.
“Investing strategically in our infrastructure is important for economic growth if we want communities to be able to grow,” Gallant said in an interview. “If we want communities to support business and the people that live there and they to hope to attract there, we need to make sure that they have the infrastructure needed.”
Some of the projects are said to have already begun but the remaining communities will see work begin within the next several months.
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Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic Leblanc, who was in Chipman for the announcement, said the infrastructure investments fall in line for both governments.
“The government of New Brunswick ran a campaign on increased investments in infrastructure to stimulate the economy, so did we, so they have been an enthusiastic partner for us,” LeBlanc said.
The projects are in addition to those that were part of an agreement reached between the provincial and federal governments last summer when 47 projects were announced.
– With files from Jeremy Keefe, Global News
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