August 2, 2005
Bathurst, New Brunswick
Upwards of 450 households in Bathurst will receive water
and wastewater improvements thanks to an investment of $4-
million through the first-announced project under the
Canada-New Brunswick Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
(CNBMRIF). The announcement was made by the Honourable Andy Scott,
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and
Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians; the
Honourable Bernard Lord, Premier of New Brunswick; and
Stephen Brunet, Mayor of Bathurst. This tri-partite project totaling $9,953,570 for the water
and wastewater project connecting 450 households in the
community has the City of Bathurst investing $5,953,570
towards the planned infrastructure work. "Today's investment will result in the completion of
necessary work that will go a long way to protect the
residents of Bathurst and our environment," said Minister
Scott, on behalf of the Honourable Joseph McGuire, Minister
of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "The
Canada-New Brunswick Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is
a true partnership. Moreover, it is a clear example of two
senior levels of government working together to deliver an
efficient, harmonized, one-window infrastructure program
for municipalities.""Building strategic infrastructure is a key cornerstone of
Greater Opportunity: New Brunswick's Prosperity Plan.
Today's announcement is just another example of how well
the plan is working," said Lord. "Building strategic
infrastructure includes ensuring safe drinking water and
green municipal infrastructure are available to New
Brunswickers, including the residents of Bathurst.""This is a real big day for the City of Bathurst," said
Mayor Brunet. "The provision of essential water and sewer
services to such a large section of the city and its many
residents of Youghall and Queen Elizabeth Drive is indeed
significant."The project involves the installation of sanitary sewer and
water pipes on Youghall Drive, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Craig
Avenue, Grovehill Subdivision, Stone Gate Subdivision,
Morrison Subdivision and McLean Subdivision. The Canada-New Brunswick Municipal Rural Infrastructure
Fund Agreement, signed on December 3, 2004, will invest $99
million in communities across New Brunswick over five
years. The Governments of Canada and New Brunswick are each
investing $33 million. The remaining $33 million will come
from local governments whose projects win CNBMRIF support.
In New Brunswick, ACOA is responsible for the
implementation of the program federally, while the
Department of the Environment and Local Government, in
conjunction with the Regional Development Corporation, are
responsible for the provincial jurisdictions. At least 80 per cent of CNBMRIF funding will
support "green" projects - those that lead to cleaner air
and water, such as improvements to local water and sewer
systems. Municipalities can also upgrade their buildings to
reduce energy needs, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by
improving public transit. The fund will also support faster
Internet connections as well as cultural, recreational and
tourism projects.More information on federal and New Brunswick
infrastructure programs can be found at
www.infrastructure.gc.ca and www.gnb.ca.Valérie Poulin
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire
Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
(613) 941-7241
Nadya Ladouceur
Senior Communications Officer
ACOA New Brunswick
(506) 451-2677
Marie-Josée Groulx
Director of Communications and Educational Services
Environment and Local Government
(506) 457-7202
Chisholm Pothier
Office of the Premier
(506) 444-2286
