Representatives from the governments of Canada and Manitoba have announced funding for Phase 1 upgrades to the regional wastewater treatment system in the City of Winkler and the Rural Municipality of Stanley.
“Investing in essential public infrastructure is key to building healthy, vibrant and resilient communities,” said Daniel Vandal, minister of northern affairs and member of parliament for Saint Boniface–Saint Vital. “The Winkler-Stanley-Morden wastewater treatment project will ensure residents benefit from safe and reliable services while increasing capacity in the region for current and future development.”
This project, the first of two phases, consists of building a new mechanical wastewater treatment facility in Winkler, retrofitting the first of two existing lagoon cells, and adding two lift stations in Stanley. Approximately 45 kilometres of linear piping will be added to connect two additional communities—Schanzenfeld and Reinfeld—to the region’s wastewater treatment system. Once completed, the full system will meet both federal and provincial environmental requirements. The full system will also provide increased regional capacity for wastewater treatment.
“The Manitoba government continues to deliver strategic investments in community infrastructure to help facilitate growth and improve quality of life in the province,” said Reg Helwer, minister of central services. “By improving wastewater management, the region can continue to expand and grow knowing that its new facilities will meet both federal and provincial environmental regulations, have increased treatment capacity and provide a cleaner environment for the area’s rapidly growing population.”
Driven by strong industrial, commercial and agricultural economies, the Winkler-Stanley-Morden region is one of the fastest-growing areas in Manitoba. Investing in the expansion of wastewater infrastructure in this region will enable continued economic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner.
“In recent years, population growth in the booming area of Southern Manitoba has outpaced the capacity of local wastewater infrastructure,” said Terry Duguid, member of parliament for Winnipeg South. Duguid is also the parliamentary secretary to the minister of economic development and official languages (Western Economic Diversification Canada) and the parliamentary secretary to the the minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency).
“In addition to improving costs and service delivery, the funding announced today will create economic opportunities by attracting new families, services and businesses to the area,” added Duguid. I’m proud of the strong collaboration between federal, provincial and municipal partners that has been key to securing this important project.”
The Government of Canada is investing more than $25.2 million in this project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Manitoba is providing over $21 million, and the municipalities of Winkler and Stanley are contributing $27.2 million combined.
Header image credit: Tony Webster.
