Residents of Preeceville will benefit from a new water distribution system funded through the Canada-Saskatchewan Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF). Preeceville's water distribution project is the final Saskatchewan project to be annou unced as both levels of government work toward implementing the Communities Component of the new Canada-Saskatchewan Building Canada Fund (BCF).
A joint investment of $263,000 from the federal and provincial government and an additional $131,500 u nder the federal Gas Tax Fund was announced today by Ken Krawetz, Saskatchewan's Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, on behalf of Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Hutchinson; Garry Breitkreuz, Member of Parliament for Yorkton-Melville, on behalf of t he Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification; and Mayor Garth Harris from the Town of Preeceville.
"The Government of Saskatch ewan believes in investing in our communities so we can meet the opportunities provided by growth," Minister Krawetz said. "We believe in working with our federal and municipal partners to ensure Preeceville residents get access to safe drinking water. Th e MRIF program has been a great help in helping our communities build their infrastructure and thanks to our working with our federal partners, the Building Canada Fund Communities Component can continue to build on the good work the MRIF program began."
"The Government of Canada is pleased to assist the Town of Preeceville in replacing their water distribution systems with a modern and reliable water supply line," said MP Breitkreuz. "We are making an investment in infrastructure that will create sustainable, lasting benefits for the health of families and their community."
This project will address existing water problems in Preeceville by providing a reliable water supply line with decreased maintenance costs and a safe drinking water su pply for all water recipients in the community. The new water line is of a higher quality, which will withstand ground shifts and reduce future line failures and repairs. The line will also eliminate corrosion that reduces water flow and adversely affects water quality.
"This project of replacing the water supply line and extending a filtered water distribution line, is very important to our community in providing sustainability of a quality water distribution service for all residents," said Preec eville Mayor Garth Harris. "On behalf of the Town Council, Staff and Taxpayers, thank-you to the MRIF Grant Program, for your visions for our communities and for the financial assistance in seeing these visions materialize."
Under MRIF, the Governm ent of Canada has invested $45.4 million in 320 infrastrucure projects in Saskatchewan. The provincial contribution brings the total MRIF investment to $90.8 million. The MRIF program has helped Saskatchewan communities identify their infrastructure prio rities and achieve significant results towards building a stronger, safer and better Canada with a modern infrastructure system. The list of all Saskatchewan MRIF projects can be found at www.municipal.gov.sk.ca.
In April 2008, the Canada-Saskatchewan Building Canada Framework Agreement was signed. With this agreement, the Government of Canada committed to an investment of more than $755 million towards infrastructure needs in Saskatchewan from 2007 to 2014. Through its unprecedented $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, the federal government is providing long-term, stable and predictable funding to help meet infrastructure needs across Canada.
Effective July 15, 2008 Saskatchewan com munities began submitting applications for infrastructure projects under the new Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund (BCF), a partnership investment of $189 million from federal and provincial governments. The deadline for the first intake o f applications was August 29, 2008.
Note to News Directors & Assignment Editors: Backgrounder found at www.municipal.gov.sk.ca
For additional information, contact:
Pierre Floréa
Director of Communications
Office of the President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification
613-943-1838
Greg Urbano ski
Communications Consultant
Saskatchewan Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Regina, Saskatchewan
Tel: (306) 787-2155
