MANITOULIN—Three Manitoulin Island and area municipalities are included in a significant funding announcement made jointly by the federal and provincial governments for community water infrastructure projects. The Town of Gore Bay and Billings Township, along with Killarney, are to receive funding.
On April 14, Jennifer O’Connell, parliamentary secretary to the minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure, and communities, on behalf of the honourable Dominic LeBlanc, minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities, and the honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s minister of infrastructure, announced joint funding for 144 water infrastructure projects across Ontario.
The Town of Gore Bay is to receive federal funding of $558,997 and provincial funding of $465,784, with the town’s share of funding $372,711. “This is very good news,” stated Gore Bay Mayor Dan Osborne. “We are slowly making our way through modernizing the older infrastructure that does not currently meet needs.”
Funding for the Gore Bay project will support the replacement of approximately 640 metes of watermain replacement for Dawson Street, Borron Street and Laird Street. Work includes the re-attachment of valves and interconnections as well as trenching across Meredith Street, the installation of five new fire hydrants and site restoration. These improvements will increase the reliability and capacity of the transmission infrastructure.
Mayor Osborne explained that as part of the project, a new updated eight-inch water main line will replace the current two water line system.
The Township of Billings is receiving federal funding of $700,091, and provincial funding of $583,351. The municipal share ‘is $466,786.
“This is great news,” stated Billings Mayor Ian Anderson. “We’re thrilled and this project has been on our radar for some time. The work needs to be done and we are very appreciative of this funding.”
The funding being provided is for the Old Mill Road watermain replacement. The project includes the relocation and replacement of approximately 1,000 metres of watermain and services from the town’s waterfront to Old Mill Road, as well as improvements to transmission pipes. Once complete, this project will increase the reliability and capacity of the transmission infrastructure.
The municipality of Killarney received $115,136 in federal funding and $95,937 in provincial funding, with the municipal share of the costs $76,767, for the Killarney water treatment plant infrastructure repairs. The project includes the replacement of approximately 40 filter membranes, the analyzer at the water intake and two chemical feed boards. In the municipality of Killarney, this will increase the reliability and efficiency of the water treatment infrastructure.
