The federal and provincial governments will be paying two-thirds of the cost to upgrade Foam Lake, St. Brieux and RM of Hoodoo’s water and sewage systems.
They are receiving the money through the New Building Canada Plan’s Small Communities Fund, which applies to communities with fewer than 100,000 residents.
The total cost of St. Brieux’s well and water treatment plant upgrade is just more than $3 million, Foam Lake’s lift station and force main upgrade just more than $2 million and the RM of Hoodoo’s south lagoon expansion almost $589,000.
The federal government will pay one-third of the cost, the provincial government will pay another one-third, while the communities are on the hook for the rest.
Heather Hind-Hluchaniuk, St. Brieux’s town administrator, said the town’s two wells have had their screens lowered but the draw-out is still too much for long-term use. The project will add a third well and an reverse osmosis water treatment system.
“I think it’s a great thing we have this opportunity to have this funding because it allows us to have a better quality of life and service for our townspeople.”
Hind-Hluchaniuk said the funding makes the project possible while minimizing the effect on taxpayers. Having more water volume available will also support growth in the town.
Kristine Marengere, Foam Lake’s town administrator, said her town was pleased and excited that the provincial and federal government was coming through for them.
“It means that we will be able to upgrade a fairly old piece of infrastructure that will serve the needs of our community for years to come,” she said. “That’s a very expensive operation to undertake if you’re just a small community like ours and, obviously, having some backing from the provincial and federal governments is huge.”
Foam Lake, St. Brieux and RM of Hoodoo are three of the 46 infrastructure projects across Saskatchewan receiving more than $53.9 million from the Small Communities Fund.
“Clean drinking water, efficient wastewater treatment and safe roadways are critical to building prosperous and sustainable communities in Saskatchewan and across Canada,” said François-Philippe Champagne, federal minister of Infrastructure and Communities, in a press release on Sept. 11. “The Government of Canada is proud to be supporting these 46 projects that will ensure everyone in the region benefits from solid infrastructure that helps maintain a high quality of life for years to come.”
– with files from Jessica R. Durling
