For Release
November 09, 2007
Village of McCreary, Manitoba – The Village of
McCreary will benefit from an infrastructure project jointly announced
today by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba. Funding
of $78,000 to renew sewer lines through the Canada-Manitoba Municipal
Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). The project is based on equal contributions
from the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, and the local
municipality.
The announcement was made today by Russ Hiebert, Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic
Diversification; and Drew Caldwell, Brandon East MLA, on behalf of the
Honourable Ron Lemieux, Minister of Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation.
“The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership
to create strong and healthy rural communities like the Village of McCreary,”
said Parliamentary Secretary Hiebert on behalf of the Honourable Rona
Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister
of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.
“This joint investment of $78,000 will have direct and long-lasting
impacts on the local community. The relining technology used will help
to avoid extensive street reconstruction costs and extend the life of
the sewer line by over 20 years.”
“This support will see renewals and upgrades to the local water
lines which will improve the system for residents of McCreary,”
said Caldwell.
The Village of McCreary, located 80 km northwest of Dauphin, will benefit
from $78,000 to renew their sewer lines. This project will extend the
life of the sewer lines for several decades and will improve the wastewater
collection performance and prevent failure of the lines.
This new green infrastructure project is part of $11 million being announced
this fall to improve drinking water and to enhance the environment in
rural and northern communities by upgrading the quality of water and management
of water, wastewater, and solid waste. These rounds of announcements are
based on recommendations from the MRIF Rural/Northern Federal Provincial
Local Consultative Committee (FPLCC). The FPLCC consists of local government
representatives from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM)
and the Northern Association of Community Councils. The FPLCC was created
to provide local input and knowledge in the MRIF project selection process
in Rural and Northern Manitoba.
“The AMM is pleased to be a part of a successful partnership bringing
much-needed infrastructure investments to Manitoba communities,”
said Ron Bell, AMM President. “The sewer relining project being
announced today is a sound investment that will save the Village of McCreary
extensive street reconstruction costs. The Municipal Rural Infrastructure
Fund has made a significant contribution to our members' infrastructure
needs and I look forward to seeing more funds dedicated to these types
of projects in the future.”
“Core infrastructure like wastewater systems are crucial to the
overall health of rural and northern communities,” said Reg Meade,
President of the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC). “The
NACC recognizes that this infrastructure project is an investment in a
more prosperous future for local residents and future generations.”
The initial Canada-Manitoba MRIF agreement invested a total of $120
million in communities across Manitoba. This year, an additional $25 million
is being provided to MRIF through matching funds from the governments
of Canada, Manitoba and local contributions as part of the commitment
to help small communities meet their pressing infrastructure needs. This
additional funding will bring the total federal and provincial investment
and matching local contribution in MRIF Manitoba projects to $145 million.
Of the funds, 80 per cent are earmarked for communities with a population
under 250,000, including 198 municipalities and 50 unincorporated Northern
Community Councils in rural and northern Manitoba. The remaining 20 per
cent of funds are awarded to communities with populations over 250,000.
More information on Canada and Manitoba infrastructure projects are
available at: www.infrastructure.gc.ca
and www.infrastructure.mb.ca.
For additional information, contact:
Jana Lerner,
Communications Coordinator
Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Secretariat
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-8778
Toll-Free: 1-800-268-4883
www.infrastructure.mb.ca
David Meister,
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 983-0789
John Thorpe,
Communications Coordinator
Government of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-4997
www.gov.mb.ca
