Canada and Alberta invest in green infrastructure projects in Alberta to strengthen the economy and support communities

CALGARY, AB, Oct. 26, 2020 /CNW/ - The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities for the governments of Canada and Alberta. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than Canadians' personal health; it is also having a profound impact on the economy.

This is why the two orders of government are taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Prasad Panda, Minister of Infrastructure for Alberta; and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, announced funding for 8 projects in Alberta.

In Calgary, the Downtown Flood Barrier project will create a new barrier along the south bank of the Bow River to improve flood control. This will be connected to the West Eau Claire and Centre Street Bridge lower deck flood barriers to form a continuous barrier along the Bow River. Another project in Calgary will add a storm water trunk in the Upper Plateau to direct storm water run-off directly into the Bow River and reduce the risk and magnitude of storm water flooding.

The Siksika Nation will build two new drinking water wells to provide a stable source of feed water for the Arthur A. Youngman treatment facility that will meet growing community needs and reduce environmental impacts.

These and the other projects announced today will improve wastewater systems, drinking water treatment, and storm water management systems across the region.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $41.6 million in these projects through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Alberta is providing over $39.5 million, while funding applicants are contributing more than $26.4 million.

Quotes

"Investing in essential services like drinking water treatment and flood barriers is key to building resilient communities. The Downtown Flood Barrier project in Calgary and the drinking water wells in Siksika Nation are just two of eight new Alberta projects that will help keep communities safe and healthy while protecting essential public infrastructure. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds stronger communities."

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Protecting Alberta residents and businesses from flood damage, most notably protecting downtown Calgary from flooding like we saw in 2013, is a critical measure to safeguard the economy. Additionally, hundreds of Albertans will be employed in building this infrastructure at a time when an economic boost is needed most."

Prasad Panda, Alberta Minister of Infrastructure

"The funding announced today is a major step to fully protecting downtown Calgary businesses and residences from another devastating flood. Completing the Downtown Flood Barrier will create 100 needed jobs, but it will also create peace of mind for so many Calgarians who worry every spring about what could happen. The resilience we're building together in projects like these will protect our economy, our people, and our way of life."

Naheed Nenshi, Mayor of Calgary

Quick facts

• Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested $4.9 billion in 338 infrastructure projects across Alberta.
• To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.
• The new Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to support communities as they deploy innovative new ways to adapt spaces and services to respond to immediate and ongoing needs arising from COVID-19 over the next two years.

Related product

Backgrounder: Canada and Alberta invest in green infrastructure projects in Alberta to strengthen the economy and support communities  

Backgrounder

Canada and Alberta invest in green infrastructure projects in Alberta to strengthen the economy and support communities

Federal, provincial, and municipal funding will support 8 infrastructure projects in Alberta. These investments will create jobs, grow the economy, and support healthier, more sustainable communities.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $41.6 million in these projects through the Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Alberta is providing over $39.5 million, while funding applicants are contributing more than $26.4 million.

Project Information:

Location	Project Name	Project Details	Federal Funding	Provincial Funding	Municipal / Other Funding
Bassano	Wastewater Treatment Upgrades and Irrigation Project	Upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility, including addition of a storage cell, upgrades to the existing lagoon transfer structures, and installation of a pump and irrigation pivot	$2,723,264	$2,339,766	$1,956,970
Black Diamond	Lagoon Upgrade Project	Upgrades to the existing lagoon system to comply with new effluent requirements for discharge into the Sheep River and to increase wastewater treatment capacity for the community in the future	$6,936,000	$5,779,422	$4,624,578
Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement	Water Treatment Plant Upgrade	Completion of necessary upgrades to the water treatment plant in the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement community	$465,450	$0	$155,150
Calgary	Downtown Flood Barrier	Construction of a 1.4-km flood barrier along the south bank of the Bow River on the Eau Claire Promenade and Riverwalk areas	$6,138,754	$11,096,055	$3,839,115
Calgary	Upper Plateau Separation	Construction of a new storm water trunk to convey storm water run-off from the Upper Plateau directly to the Bow River	$14,740,000	$12,282,105	$9,827,895
Coaldale	Coaldale Malloy Drain Phase 2B Implementation Plan	Re-purposing of abandoned raw water reservoirs into storm water storage as well as construction of a new wetland with fore bay and a new bio-swale with a pump station to direct storm water from the south wetland into the reservoirs	$1,238,000	$1,031,564	$825,436
Crowsnest Pass	Frank Wastewater Plant Upgrade Project	Upgrades to an existing wastewater treatment plant to comply with wastewater effluent quality regulations and standards	$7,800,000	$6,499,350	$5,200,650
Siksika Nation	Arthur A. Youngman Water Treatment Plant Raw Water Wells Project	Construction of two new water wells to provide a stable source of feed water for the Arthur A. Youngman treatment facility in Siksika Nation	$1,575,000	$508,488	$16,512

Associated links

Investing in COVID-19 Community Resilience
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/covid-19-resilience-eng.html

Canada Healthy Communities Initiative
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/chci-iccs/index-eng.html

Federal infrastructure investments in Alberta
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-ab-eng.html

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Alberta's Recovery Plan 
https://www.alberta.ca/recovery-plan.aspx 

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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Chantalle Aubertin, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-941-0660, [email protected]; Hadyn Place, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, 780-643-6322, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected],

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca