A major funding announcement for Winnipeg’s North End Sewage Treatment plant was made Friday, with contributions from all three levels of government.
The federal government is investing more then $116 million in the project, which includes new raw sewage pumps, plate screens and other improvements aimed at improving the health of Lake Winnipeg.
The city is contributing a further $143 million, while the province is chipping in $96 million.
Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman called the announcement “historic”.
“Today’s historic announcement of funding from our federal and our provincial partners is a major milestone in funding (the plant’s) upgrade,” the mayor said, “and a vital step to better protect the health of Lake Winnipeg and future growth for the city of Winnipeg.”
The plant, which handles about 70 per cent of the city’s wastewater, is the city’s oldest, first coming online way back in 1937. The planned upgrades are due in part to Winnipeg’s growth in the decades since, as well as enhancing environmental protections.
The current first phase of work is is expected to be only the beginning of the larger project which will total in the billions.
“The North End Sewage Treatment Plant project will ensure continuous and reliable services, help protect the environment, and will also increase capacity in the region for current and future development,” said Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, speaking on behalf of the federal infrastructure minister.
“Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”