$140M committed to new water, wastewater projects in Manitoba

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Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in several Manitoba communities will be getting a financial boost that could result in more than 14,000 new homes being built in the province.

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This week, the Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB) announced it will loan a combined $140 million to support five Manitoba communities with potable water and wastewater projects through CIB’s Infrastructure for Housing Initiative. The
provincial portion of this investment is over $71 million.

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CIB, a Crown corporation, currently works to financially support “revenue-generating infrastructure projects that are in the public interest,” according to CIB.

The new investment commitments have been made with the City of Brandon, and with the Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) Wastewater Co-operative, which includes the RMs of Tache, Hanover and Richot, and the town of Niverville.

The municipalities are further supported with funding from the Manitoba government and Infrastructure Canada through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Manitoba government acted as an aggregator, supporting and co-ordinating with the municipal partners.

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In Brandon, money will be used for a water treatment plant upgrade and expansion that CIB says will allow the southwestern Manitoba city to provide potable water that “meets and exceeds” provincial standards.

Brandon will also expand coverage of their current wastewater facility to accommodate “growing commercial and residential demand in the city,” according to CIB.

“This investment will not only modernize our water treatment facilities and wastewater systems, but also pave the way for sustainable growth in our communities for generations to come,” Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said in a media release.

In the communities of Taché, Hanover, Ritchot and Niverville, money will be used to create a new “centralized” wastewater treatment plant, which will allow those communities to move away from using traditional wastewater lagoons for sewage.

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CBI says that project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55,300 tonnes over the facility’s lifespan, and add “significant additional capacity required to support some of the fastest growing communities in Manitoba.”

“This investment from the CIB will ensure that our region continues to be an attractive place for families to call home,” RSR Wastewater Co-operative board chair Jim Funk said. “The CIB’s involvement and expertise has enabled our four municipalities to sustainably pursue residential and commercial growth over the next 50 years.”

CIB said the $140 million will support projects that will deliver clean water and improved wastewater treatment to approximately 78,000 homes across the five communities, and provide infrastructure that could allow for the construction of 2,300 new housing units in Brandon, and 12,600 new housing units in the RSR region.

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“Unlocking more infrastructures is critical to helping communities get more housing built,” Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser said.

“The CIB’s investment of $140 million toward new water and wastewater infrastructure will modernize wastewater infrastructure while creating the conditions needed to enable the growth of the municipality of Brandon and the communities in the RSR.”

Fraser said the two projects are the first in Canada to be financed through CIB’s Infrastructure for Housing Initiative, a program he said will be available to communities across the country.

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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