The Government of Canada is working with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte to improve access to safe, clean drinking water in the community.
The First Nation, Infrastructure Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) worked together to expand water service to the eastern Ontario community. Ongoing improvements to the community’s water and wastewater infrastructure include:
- Connecting 146 homes directly to the community’s main water treatment system. This project is part of a phased approach that will improve access to safe drinking water and contribute to the lifting of five long-term drinking water advisories in the community. ISC is investing $14.5 million towards the project, which is expected to be complete by summer 2020.
- Adding nearly 23 kilometres of water distribution pipes to reach the majority of the community’s 750 homes and businesses. Once complete, this expansion will improve access to safe drinking water and reduce the effects of drought on the community. Infrastructure Canada is investing more than $30 million in this project through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF).
“The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte is pleased Indigenous Services Canada has provided $14.5 million to construct eight kilometres of watermains and an elevated storage reservoir extending water services along York Road to the village of Shannonville,” said R. Donald Maracle, Chief of the Mohawks Bay of Quinte. “This portion of the reserve will be serviced from the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte water treatment plant that was constructed in 2015 with financial assistance of $26.7 million from Indigenous Services Canada.”
“The additional funding from the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) commits $30 million in federal funding to construct water main infrastructure on un-serviced roads to homes that have experienced dry wells during drought conditions,” added Chief Maracle. “The construction of these watermains will ensure that our members have a reliable supply of safe drinking water, a longstanding and important goal of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. We very much appreciate the financial contributions of Infrastructure Canada and Indigenous Services Canada to enable the community to achieve this important goal.”
