Seven core infrastructure projects in the Peace Country are getting provincial funding. The government says the grants are intended to help create jobs in the region, as well as help improve infrastructure in outlying communities.
The Village of Rycroft has been granted $433,500 for a sewage force main and a lift station upgrade. Todd Loewen, MLA for Central Peace-Notley, says the facility will receive a new and larger force main, upgrade controls and flow metre, as well as improvements to its electrical systems.
“These projects needed to be done and we need employment so it’s time to push this money out, get these needed projects done in the community and put people back to work,” he says.
The Municipal District of Fairview was also allotted $375,000 to put towards upgrading the Bluesky and Whitelaw Water Treatment Plants. The funding provided to both communities to cover three-quarters of the necessary costs. Each would be responsible for covering the rest of the expenses.
Loewen says the municipalities applied to the province specifically for each project and expects them to begin in the near future.
“These are shovel-ready projects so I expect [the municipalities] will get on them pretty soon but I don’t have any timeline on them at this point,” says Loewen. “Obviously these were the highest priority for them to get done so I presume they’ll get to work on them fairly soon.”
The Municipal District of Smoky River has also been given $5,045,400 to do maintenance work on bridges throughout the community. Similarly, the Municipal District of Peace River was granted $459,000 for bridgework.