Projects in Gibsons, Sechelt and the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) are getting money from the federal-provincial Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
Amarjeet Sohi, federal minister of infrastructure and communities, and Peter Fassbender, B.C. minister of community, sport and cultural development, announced the funding March 17.
Gibsons has been approved for about $768,000 in federal funds and $500,000 from the province for two projects: a water infrastructure renewal program and an integrated stormwater management plan update and implementation. The municipal share for the projects comes in at just over $262,000.
Sechelt will receive $1.7 million from Ottawa and $1.1 million from Victoria for the sanitary sewer expansion project. Sechelt will contribute $598,000
Three SCRD projects are getting support: the Merrill Crescent community septic field system replacement, the North Pender Harbour Water System main replacements, and the Pender Harbour, Canoe Road community septic field system replacement. Federal funding for the projects totals around $1.7 million and the provincial share is $1.1 million. The SCRD will have to come up with about $580,000.
In 2016 the SCRD received about $697,000 from the same infrastructure program for the Square Bay wastewater treatment plant upgrade. An alternative approval process to authorize borrowing of up to $280,000 over a 20-year term for the SCRD’s portion of the costs closed March 21.
The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund was created as a joint federal-provincial agreement in September 2016 to help communities in B.C. pay for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Under the agreement, the federal government set aside $225 million and the provincial government is making up to $148.5 million available.
To date, 179 projects have been approved for funding.
