Trois-Rivières, July 19, 2012 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today joined Jean-Paul Diamond, Member of the Quebec National Assembly for Maskinongé and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, Laurent Lessard, in announcing that the City of Trois-Rivières will receive $2,951,720 in joint government funding under the Large Urban Centres Component of the Building Canada Fund – Quebec, to channel wastewater from Pointe-du-Lacto the main sewer network in Trois-Rivières.
Minister Lebel, who was unable to attend today’s announcement, applauded the start of this work, which will make sure residents in Trois-Rivières’ Pointe-du-Lac district are connected to a sanitary sewer system that adequately serves their needs. “Our communities across the country have to be able to count on quality public infrastructure. That is why the Government of Canada, in conjunction with the Government of Quebec, is providing concrete financial support to a wide range of projects that will improve quality of life in our communities,” he commented.
“I am delighted to announce our government’s support of this project, which illustrates our commitment to equipping Quebec’s municipalities with quality infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of municipal facilities. This work in Pointe-du-Lac will make it possible to reduce the quantity and improve the quality of discharged wastewater, which will help protect the environment. In the end, this project will have a positive impact on the well-being of the population. Investing in our infrastructure means investing in sustainable development, and that is an investment in Quebec’s collective heritage,” said MNA Jean-Paul Diamond.
The project put forward by the City of Trois-Rivières involves decommissioning the Pointe-du-Lac treatment plant and connecting the sector’s sewer pipe network to the city’s main wastewater collection system, which has sufficient capacity to treat used water coming from the Pointe-du-Lac district. The initiative also calls for modifications to the Matton and De Sienne pumping stations to allow the sector’s hook-up to the main system. These improvements will benefit some 7,500 Pointe-du-Lac residents.
Completion of this project will require a total investment of $4,427,578 established on the basis of the project’s eligible costs. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $1,475,860, for a combined government investment of $2,951,720, while the City of Trois-Rivières will invest $1,475,858 in the initiative.
The Large Urban Centres Component of the Building Canada Fund - Quebec is a cost-sharing initiative to finance infrastructure projects in Quebec municipalities of 100,000 inhabitants or more. These communities can use this financial assistance to revitalize such public infrastructure as water treatment plants, water supply systems and cultural and sports centres.
The contribution from the Government of Canada announced today has been awarded through Canada’s Economic Action Plan. For further details on this plan, see www.actionplan.gc.ca.
To find out more about the Government of Quebec’s Quebec Infrastructure Plan, visit www.infrastructures.gouv.qc.ca.
