The Rural Municipality and Town of Minitonas will benefit from an infrastructure project jointly announced today by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba. Funding of $831,000 towards increasing the size and capacity of the lagoon, through the Canada-Manitoba Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF), is based on equal contributions from the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, and local partners.

The announcement was made today by the Honourable Rosann Wowchuk, Minister of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives; and Inky Mark, Member of Parliament for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification.

“We are pleased to support these upgrades to the local infrastructure that will build capacity and help meet demands on the system,” said Minister Wowchuk.

“The Government of Canada is committed to improving and renewing local infrastructure which has a direct impact on the health and well-being of families and their communities,” said MP Mark. “This joint investment of $831,000 in the expansion of the lagoon will help improve the environment and the quality of life in the community.”

The RM and Town of Minitonas, located 150 km north of Dauphin, will benefit from $831,000 to increase the size and capacity of the Minitonas lagoon. The current lagoon is no longer able to accommodate the waste discharged through the Town’s sewage system. This project will significantly reduce both the environmental impact caused by the current lagoon and the amount of chemical required to treat septic waste.

This new green infrastructure project is part of $11 million being announced this fall to improve drinking water and to enhance the environment in rural and northern communities by upgrading the quality of water and management of water, wastewater, and solid waste. These rounds of announcements are based on recommendations from the MRIF Rural/Northern Federal Provincial Local Consultative Committee (FPLCC). The FPLCC consists of local government representatives from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC). The FPLCC was created to provide local input and knowledge in the MRIF project selection process in Rural and Northern Manitoba.

“The AMM is pleased to be a part of a successful partnership bringing much-needed infrastructure investments to Manitoba communities,” said Ron Bell, AMM President. “The Town and RM of Minitonas should be commended for partnering to provide a solution that will increase the size and capacity of their much-needed lagoon. The Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund has made a significant contribution to our members' infrastructure needs and I look forward to seeing more funds dedicated to these types of projects in the future.”

“The NACC is proud to support this lagoon extension which protects the environment for future generations,” said Reg Meade, President of the Northern Association of Community Councils. “Upgrading the Town’s lagoon will certainly reduce negative impact on the environment in this region.”

The initial Canada-Manitoba MRIF agreement invested a total of $120 million in communities across Manitoba. This year, an additional $25 million is being provided to MRIF through matching funds from the governments of Canada, Manitoba and local contributions as part of the commitment to help small communities meet their pressing infrastructure needs. This additional funding will bring the total federal and provincial investment and matching local contribution in MRIF Manitoba projects to $145 million.

Of the funds, 80 per cent are earmarked for communities with a population under 250,000, including 198 municipalities and 50 unincorporated Northern Community Councils in rural and northern Manitoba. The remaining 20 per cent of funds are awarded to communities with populations over 250,000.

More information on Canada and Manitoba infrastructure projects are available at: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ and http://www.infrastructure.mb.ca/.

For additional information, contact:

Lee Gregg
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tel: (204) 983-0701

Jana Lerner
Communications Coordinator
Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Secretariat
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-8778
Toll-Free: 1-800-268-4883
http://www.infrastructure.mb.ca/

John Thorpe
Communications Coordinator
Government of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-4997
http://www.gov.mb.ca/