Thursday, October 15, 2026
A joint investment of more than $74 million from the federal and provincial governments will see communities across Saskatchewan benefit from improved water, wastewater, drainage and sewer infrastructure.
Funding will support Phase 1 of the City of Yorkton’s Water Pollution Control Plant Renewal Project, including upgrades to the H.M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant’s Headworks facility. This work will increase treatment capacity, and improve downstream quality and environmental outcomes by protecting the cleanliness of Yorkton Creek and users of the Assiniboine Watershed, including Cote First Nation, Keesekoose First Nation, and the City of Brandon, Manitoba. The project will also support future housing and economic growth in Yorkton, including the potential development of the population equivalent of 7,150 additional housing units.
“This funding represents the largest grant our city has ever received and allows us to begin the Water Pollution Control Plant Renewal Project, the largest infrastructure project in Yorkton’s history,” said Aaron Kienle, Mayor of Yorkton.
In the Town of La Ronge, the existing sanitary sewer system along Bedford Drive and Louis Road will be extended to support the construction of two residential apartment buildings. The project will enable approximately 124 new housing units through the installation of 860 metres of sewer main connecting the sites to the nearby sewage pumping station.
“This funding will help realize a significant housing project for the community that will go along way in alleviating the existing housing shortage. It will also provide living accommodations for people who come to work in our community as part of new developments currently under construction, like the Saskatchewan Health Authority’s long-term care facility and the new regional RCMP detachment,” said Joe Hordyski, Mayor of La Ronge.
Several additional communities will also benefit from improvements to essential services that will support growth, including water treatment upgrades in the towns of Shellbrook and Arcola, wastewater expansion in the City of Estevan, water system improvements in the City of Swift Current, and water and sewer expansion in the Town of Big River. Other projects include an infrastructure master plan for the Town of Naicam, flood mitigation and drainage improvements in the Town of Warman, and lagoon expansion in the Rural Municipality of St. Louis No. 431.
The federal government is investing $40,137,767 towards these projects through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, while the Government of Saskatchewan is contributing $33,444,793. In addition, municipal recipients are contributing a combined total of $26,271,798 toward their respective projects. The federal government is also investing an additional $490,057 through the Canada Community-Building Fund.
Featured image: (L to R) Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger, Saskatchewan Minister Lori Carr, Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle and MLA David Chan. (City of Yorkton)
