Canada and Manitoba invest in second phase of upgrades to the North End Sewage Treatment Plant in Winnipeg

News release

Winnipeg, Manitoba, August 16, 2022—Today, the Honourable Heather Stefanson, Premier of Manitoba; Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; Honourable Reg Helwer, Manitoba Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services; and His Worship, Brian Bowman, Mayor of the City of Winnipeg, announced a joint investment of over $550 million for the second phase of upgrades to the North End Sewage Treatment Plant in Winnipeg.

The North End Sewage Treatment Plant is Winnipeg's oldest and largest sewage facility, processing 70 percent of the city's wastewater. With a fast-growing population and enhanced environmental protections, the City of Winnipeg is moving forward with Phase 2 of a three-phased initiative to ensure that the highest wastewater treatment standards are met.

Phase 2 of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades project will see construction of new infrastructure and upgrades to the Biosolids Facilities, which will store and treat sludge produced from the treatment of wastewater to convert it into biosolids, a nutrient-rich product that can be safely re-used as fertilizer or soil. The new facilities will also be used to convert sludge from the City’s other two wastewater treatment plants into biosolids, diverting it from the landfill and will include sufficient capacity to facilitate the City of Winnipeg’s interim phosphorous removal plan to meet Environmental Act Licence requirements.

In 2021, the City of Winnipeg secured federal and provincial funding for Phase 1 of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades project, which involved improvements to the Headworks Facilities. The upgrades to the Headworks and Biosolids Facilities are key steps in extending the plant’s service life, supporting population and economic growth and reaching environmental compliance ultimately improving the health of Lake Winnipeg, one of Manitoba’s greatest treasures.

Quotes

“Our government is keen to collaborate with all levels of government to advance key infrastructure projects that will improve the quality of life, create jobs, and build a cleaner, greener Manitoba. We are pleased to partner with Canada to advance Phase 2 of this critical project that will support the City of Winnipeg’s growing infrastructure needs and help to build a more modern, clean capital city. Today’s announcement is an important step towards our commitment to reducing environmental impacts while stimulating the economy. I look forward to working with the federal government, the City of Winnipeg and all partners to advance the remaining phases on this project that will improve the health of Lake Winnipeg and our waterways.”

The Honourable Heather Stefanson, Premier of Manitoba 

“Investments in modern and reliable water and wastewater infrastructure foster healthy and resilient communities, protect the environment, and support sustainable development and growth. Today’s announcement of more than $200 million in federal funding for upgrades to the North End Sewage Treatment Plant will help ensure that Lake Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg and its surrounding environment will be better protected for years to come.”

Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

“I am pleased to see the continued transformation of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant to meet the highest wastewater treatment standards. Manitoba is home to countless lakes and rivers, and today’s investment will help protect them for future generations. Our Government will continue to work with our provincial and municipal partners to invest in these types of projects, which are good for the environment and for Winnipeggers.”

Kevin Lamoureux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North

“The modernization of the North End Wastewater treatment plant will protect our waterways and ecosystems to create a cleaner and more resilient Winnipeg. Our Government is proud to invest in reliable and efficient wastewater collection and treatment to help protect our lakes and rivers.”

The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency 

“This is a monumental project that will have an impact on thousands of current and future Manitobans living in the capital region and beyond. We are pleased that Winnipeg is respectfully engaging partners in this project to assist in growth and development of our communities and economy, all while benefitting the environment.”

Honourable Eileen Clarke, Manitoba Minister of Municipal Relations 

“Environmental protection is a priority for the Manitoba government, which is committed to collaboration with the City of Winnipeg on important upgrades to the North End Water Pollution Control Centre. These continued improvements will be crucial to allowing the city to achieve regulatory compliance for this facility in a timely manner, and will make Manitoba greener while stimulating the province’s economy.”

Honourable Reg Helwer, Manitoba Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services

“Our focus from the beginning has been protecting Lake Winnipeg. The NEWPCC is a critical piece of infrastructure that is important to all Manitobans and we look forward to the city completing this important work.”

Honourable Jeff Wharton, Manitoba Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks

“Today’s Phase 2 funding announcement of over $550 million of trilevel funding for the North End Sewage Treatment Plant builds on the $356 million of collaborative federal, provincial and municipal government Phase 1 investment announced in July of last year. This funding is a positive step forward that will help protect the health of Lake Winnipeg and provide Winnipeg the capacity to grow. Since 2014, I have been pleased to deliver nearly $2.5 billion in trilevel government funding needed to transform Winnipeg for the future and build the required infrastructure for a city on track to a population of a million people.”

His Worship Brian Bowman, Mayor of the City of Winnipeg 

“This project has been the City of Winnipeg’s top infrastructure priority for several years, and I am delighted that we announce it while Mayor Bowman is still in office, as we have worked for years to make this happen.” 

Brian Mayes, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Water and Waste, Riverbank Management and the Environment 

Quick facts

  • Subject to the necessary federal due diligence and approvals process, the Government of Canada is investing up to $200.9 million in this project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). The Government of Manitoba is providing more than $167 million, while the City of Winnipeg will provide at least $184 million. 

  • The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is providing $33.5 billion over 11 years for public infrastructure across Canada. Under this program, provinces and territories prioritize and submit projects to Infrastructure Canada for review. To date, the program has approved more than $22 billion for over 5,000 projects in communities across the country.

  • Thirty-seven (37) infrastructure projects under the Green Infrastructure funding stream have been approved to date in Manitoba for a total federal contribution of more than $572 million and a total provincial contribution of over $610 million.

  • Since 2016, more than $1.66 billion in federal funding has been approved for 382 infrastructure projects in Manitoba.

  • More than $765 million in federal funding has been approved for 99 projects under ICIP in Manitoba. 

  • On July 23, 2021, the Government of Canada announced funding support in the amount of $116.1 million for the first phase of the North End Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrades: Headworks Facilities. 

Associated links

Contacts

Jean-Sébastien Comeau
Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities
343-574-8116
Jean-Sebastien.Comeau@iga-aig.gc.ca

Olivia Billson
Senior Manager of Communications
Press Secretary to the Premier
Government of Manitoba
431.777.6675
Olivia.Billson@leg.gov.mb.ca

Corporate Communications
City of Winnipeg
204-986-6000
city-mediainquiry@winnipeg.ca

Media Relations
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca 
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