Manitoba is topping up a multi-million dollar investment previously announced for emergency response and damage prevention projects to the tune of $33 million.
Premier Brian Pallister announced an additional $3 million will be added to a $30 million pot of cash his government announced but hadn’t yet allocated in November, at a Wednesday morning press conference.
He said just shy of half the money — $16 million — will be used to create an alternative “flood-proof” route into the United States to be used when Hwy 75 is flooded out in the spring.
“Creating a safe, flood-proof route as an alternative to PTH 75 means Manitoba can stay open for business in times of high water and keep goods moving from the United States,” said Pallister.
“The continued flow of commercial traffic along the north-south corridor is critical to Manitoba’s economy, and by making careful, financially responsible decisions, we can ensure these goods continue to make their way to market.”
A release from the province said the project will see Provincial Road 246 converted from asphalt from PTH 23 near Morris to PR 205 near Aubigny, to allow traffic to continue flowing from CentrePort Canada in Winnipeg to the US border at Emerson during flooding.
Pallister said flooding has forced Hwy 75 to close for an average of 24 days roughly once every four years since 1996.
Pallister said the remaining $17 million in new money will be used for six projects “that help build Manitoba’s climate resilience” around the province.
Those projects include:
• Rural Municipality (RM) of Montcalm – St. Mary’s Road improvement project;
• RM of Rhineland – GNS east pump house expansion;
• St. Pierre-Jolys – berm construction;
• RM of Wallace – Woodworth – Elkhorn lagoon and lift station upgrade;
• RM of Wallace – Woodworth – Kenton supply wells generator backup; and
• Altona – downtown drainage upgrade project.
Pallister originally announced the funding as part of a one-time capital investment of up to $45 million for damage prevention and climate resiliency measures during a speech at the he Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) annual convention in Brandon last November.
In the speech he also announced more than $400 million in spending he said would include the creation of a new public safety communications system for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, conservation officers and forest-fire crews.
The service will cost nearly $20 million a year when it comes online in 2021, the province has said.
Expanded COVID-19 aid?
At Wednesday’s announcement Pallister said his government may make some COVID-19 aid programs available to more people.
Pallister said $29 million has been paid out so far from a planned $120-million forgivable loan program for small- and medium-sized businesses hurt by the pandemic.
Pallister said he will consider expanding the program if uptake remains low.
Pallister is also leaving the door open to expanding a one-time payment announced this week for low-income, front-line workers.
He said any decisions will be made once the province has an idea on how many businesses and people have applied by the deadline for each program.
–With files from the Canadian Press
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