Fort-Coulonge, September 14, 2007 – Acting on behalf of Nathalie Normandeau, Deputy Premier of Quebec and Ministre des Affaires municipales et des Régions, Charlotte L'Écuyer, Member of the National Assembly for Pontiac and Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministre de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation, today joined the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Pontiac, acting on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, in announcing that the Municipality of Fort-Coulonge will receive $4,840,000 in government funding under the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) for the construction of a water filtration plant.
This project mainly involves reconfiguring the existing water intake, installing a new supply main and constructing a new building to house the pumping system, two filtration units and disinfection system. These upgrades, which will serve to bring municipal drinking water supply facilities up to standard, will directly benefit some 2,268 citizens from Fort-Coulonge and the neighbouring municipality of Mansfield-et-Pontefract.
Completion of this project will necessitate a total investment of $6,050,000 under component 1 of the MRIF. As such, the Government of Quebec and Government of Canada will each contribute $2,420,000 toward these improvements, for a total of $4,840,000 in combined government assistance, while the Municipality of Fort-Coulonge will assume $1,210,000 of the project's costs.
Fort-Coulonge Mayor Raymond Durocher said he is delighted that this project, considered a key priority for the development of the municipality and well-being of the local population, is to be carried out.
The Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is a $390 million cost-sharing initiative of the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada that is open to Quebec municipalities. With the financial participation of municipalities, this initiative could result in the execution of more than $576 million in infrastructure work. The objectives of the MRIF are to upgrade community infrastructure, improve the quality of the environment, promote long-term economic growth and enhance citizens' quality of life.
The program, which is in force until March 31, 2010, is administered by Quebec's Ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions. Canada Economic Development is responsible for delivering the federal portion of the MRIF on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Source:
Johanne Levesque
Communications Advisor
Communications Branch
Ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions
514-873-6910
Information:
Jonathan Trudeau
Press Secretary
Office of the Vice-première ministre and Ministre des Affaires municipales et des Régions
418-691-2050
Yan Plante
Special Assistant
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
819-953-5646
819-994-5168
Karine White
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Nadja Raphaël
Communications Advisor
Canada Economic Development
514-283-2634
