From left: Mayor Caroline McAuley, Honourable Minister Brian Mason, Councilor Soren Odegard, Minister Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor Maureen Miller so the pictures of the old and upgrade treatment plant at the Vermilion Regional Centre. Photo Shawna Chernichen
Funding in the amount of $8,023,187 from the Federal Government and $2 million from the Provincial Government for the Town of Vermilion Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade was announced at the Vermilion Regional Centre on January 15.
The Honourable Minister of Infrastructure and Communities for the Government of Canada Amarjeet Sohi, Alberta Minister of Transportation Brain Mason, and District 5 Director of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties Soren Odegard, joined Vermilion Mayor Caroline McAuley in announcing the federal-provincial project funding. St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller was also in attendance.
As part of the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, $16.3 million dollars in Government funding will help the towns of Vermilion, Barrhead and St. Paul with wastewater treatment plant upgrades. A new water reservoir will be built for the Hamlet of Beaver Mines located within the Municipal District of Pincher Creek.
The Government of Canada has been working with the Provincial government and multiple Alberta municipalities and communities to insure funding for infrastructure upgrades are provided to help grow the economy, create new jobs and help build stronger communities. To achieve this goal the Government of Canada has committed over $180 billion in the next 12 years towards infrastructure, transportation and northern and rural communities. $1.5 billion of this will be used towards over 190 projects in Alberta.
Minister Sohi felt honoured and privileged in helping to provide the necessary funding for these water and wastewater projects. New and upgraded infrastructure is essential to keeping communities alive and growing.
“I am proud of the partnership we have been able to build with the Provincial government as well as the local leaders in communities and councils. Vermilion residents and nearby communities will benefit from the upgraded water and wastewater facility to protect regional waterways and provide wastewater services to more households,” said Sohi.
Minister Mason reflected that projects such as these create long term maintenance and support jobs, better services and will build a future with a better quality of life for all Albertans.
“I am very pleased that both our Government and the Federal government have developed priorities for municipal infrastructure and for infrastructure in general, something that, I think, has been neglected and there is a crying need for improving our infrastructure. There is nothing more important, in my view, than making sure that we have safe drinking water and that we deal in an environmentally safe way with our water and wastewater,” said Mason.
The Town of Vermilion was grateful for support of both Governments and Mayor McAuley noted the benefits this funding will bring to the region.
“This announcement today is only possible through the partnerships we have with the provincial and federal governments, we thank you for your support in our community,” said McAuley.
Councilor Odegard appreciated the commitment both Governments were making to rural Alberta.
“Given the challenges of building and maintaining infrastructure in rural municipalities, it is critical funding such as the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, that help support the water enhancements in rural Alberta,” said Odegard.