The Rural Municipality of De Salaberry will benefit from an infrastructure project jointly announced today by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba. Funding of $1 million for the project through the Canada-Manitoba Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) is based on equal contributions from the governments of Canada and Manitoba, and the local municipality.

The announcement was made today by the Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, 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; and the Honourable Ron Lemieux, Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation.

"The infrastructure project announced today represents an investment in safe, good quality water for the residents of St. Malo,” said Minister Toews. “Through collaborative efforts, the Government of Canada is pleased to be addressing the infrastructure needs unique to this community to support continued population growth. This is another example of our Government’s commitment to getting things done for Manitobans.”

“This is a significant announcement for the RM of De Salaberry and the project will be good news for the citizens of St. Malo as it will ensure sufficient, high-quality water for present and future needs,” said Minister Lemieux.

The RM of De Salaberry, located 70 km south of Winnipeg, will use the $1 million investment to upgrade the existing water treatment plant in St. Malo. The growth in the community of St. Malo has impacted the existing water treatment plant’s ability to meet required water demands. This project will enable the community to supply safe, good quality water to meet the demands of the expanding population.

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 improving 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. 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. “St. Malo is a growing community and the project being announced today will ensure safe drinking water for St. Malo residents as their population continues to expand. 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.”

“Providing rural Manitobans with clean safe drinking water is vital for sustaining growth in rural areas,” said Reg Meade, President of the Northern Association of Community Councils. “We are proud to recommend this project for funding under the Canada-Manitoba Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.”

The initial Canada-Manitoba MRIF agreement, announced in December 2004, 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:

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

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

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