Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain, Quebec, November 22, 2013 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and Sylvain Pagé, Member of the National Assembly for Labelle and government lead for the Laurentides region, on behalf of Sylvain Gaudreault, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, Minister of Transport and Member of the National Assembly for Jonquière, are proud to announce the completion of the new drinking water supply facilities in the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain. They also took the opportunity to remind everyonethat the project had received more than $1 million in government assistance under the Quebec Municipal Infrastructure Program (PIQM), to which a contribution from the federal Gas Tax Fund and Quebec's contribution (TECQ) was added.
"Nothing is more important to the health and prosperity of Canadian communities than having access to clean, drinkable water. Our Government is proud to have supported this important infrastructure project which will provide safe drinking water to Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain residents for years to come,"
said Minister Lebel. "Our investments in infrastructure through the federal Gas Tax Fund are key drivers of economic growth and they help ensure that Canadian communities like Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain remain among the best in the world to live."
"I am very proud to participate today in the ceremony marking the completion of work on the new drinking water supply facilities in Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain. This project is an invaluable investment in the future of the community, which can now provide an adequate supply of quality drinking water, promoting the good health and well-being of its citizens. Access to quality drinking water is a fundamental right and a service that is essential for everyone,"
said Member of the National Assembly Sylvain Pagé.
The purpose of the project was to install a membrane filtration treatment system, a chlorination system and measurement and control equipment. It also included the installation of service lines between the two wells and the treatment system and between the newly built reservoir and the existing water distribution system. An underground reservoir, to which a distribution pumping system was added, was also built to store the drinking water.
This work will enable the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain to distribute better quality drinking water to about 230 people as well as three municipal buildings, and bring it into line with the standards outlined in the Regulations respecting the quality of drinking water.
The entire project required a maximum eligible investment of $1,556,000, under component 1.4 of the PIQM. The Government of Quebec contributed $1,105,999 and the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Pontmain contributed $450,001 to the project.
The Municipality of Notre-Dame-du-Pontmain also received $471,826, of which the Government of Canada's share is $333,776 and that of the Government of Quebec is $138,050, for the 2010 to 2014 period, under the federal Gas Tax Fund and the Government of Quebec's contribution (TECQ). Part of the TECQ allocation was used by the municipality to bring the new drinking water supply facilities up to standard.
The Quebec government's contribution to this project is being made under the 2013–2023 Quebec Infrastructure Plan unveiled in April. This 10-year plan will provide for a total investment of $8.1 billion under the municipal infrastructure component. It will have a major economic impact on Quebec, creating or maintaining, on average, nearly 60,000 jobs a year. The plan signals a shift in investment in and management of public infrastructure. This new method will enable the province to assess needs prospectively in keeping with Quebecers' priorities, to accurately measure associated costs and to make informed choices.
The federal Gas Tax Fund provides municipalities across the country with long-term funding to help them build and revitalize local infrastructure. The Government of Canada has made a Gas Tax Fund permanent transfer that will exceed the current amount of $2 billion a year, while offering greater flexibility related to how the money may be used to fund local infrastructure priorities.
The objective of the federal-provincial agreement on the transfer of a portion of federal gas tax revenues, signed by Quebec and Canada, is to provide funding for the renewal of municipal and local infrastructure focusing on sustainable development, in particular in relation to drinking water, wastewater, local roads and public transit. Since the program was launched, Quebec municipalities have received $3 billion from the Government of Canada and $1.4 billion from the Government of Quebec. To date, the Government of Canada has committed over $13 billion in municipal infrastructure in Canada, through the Gas Tax Fund alone.
For more information on federal investments in infrastructure, visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter @INFC_eng.
For more information on the Plan québécois des infrastructures, visit Plan québécois des infrastructures.
For more information on the Canada Economic Action Plan, visit Canada's Economic Action Plan.
Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Marie-Eve Imonti
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
514-873-2622
Laurence Tardif
Political Advisor
Constituency office for the MNA of Labelle and
Government Lead for the Laurentides region
819-623-1277
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Émilie Lord
Communications Branch
Quebec Department of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
418-691-2015
