Government water projects lay groundwork for new Port Lands community
Posted September 14, 2016 5:06 pm.
Last Updated September 14, 2016 8:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Ontario and federal governments are providing more than $1.1 billion under the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund for municipalities looking to upgrade treatment plants and enhance water quality.
Ottawa will provide up to 50 per cent of the funds, almost $570 million, while the province will invest almost $270 million. Municipalities, First Nations and local services boards will cover the remaining costs of eligible projects.
The announcement on Wednesday includes the first phase of what could become Toronto’s newest urban oasis.
“We are one step closer, one step closer to the realization of a vibrant Toronto Port Lands that will unlock the potential of an underutilized and potentially transformative part of our city,” Mayor John Tory said.
“This flood-protection work will literally set the groundwork for building new waterfront communities and amenities that will serve the needs of Toronto’s growing population and create the opportunity for thousands of new jobs.”
The federal government is shelling out $32.5 million for the Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure project, while the province and city are contributing $16.25 million each. Waterfront Toronto says the new “naturalized” mouth of the Don River will eliminate the flood risk to 240 hectares of land and create a kilometre of new river channel — as well as a community.
“The Port Lands flood protection is really infrastructure as a means to an end,” Waterfront Toronto president Will Fleissig told CityNews. “In this case: flood protection infrastructure to drive economic development, job growth and innovation.”
Ontario recently announced it will triple its community infrastructure fund to $300 million a year by 2018-19, and said municipalities will be able to apply their grants from the fund toward their contribution for the water projects.
The federal funding is retroactive to April 1, 2016, which the government said means projects can proceed without delay.
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An initial list of 41 approved projects includes new water mains in Barrie, a new storm water treatment plant in Sudbury, updates to the snow disposal facility in Guelph and similar projects in Toronto, Brampton, Waterloo and Guelph.
The two levels of government say these projects will help ensure that communities across Ontario have access to clean and reliable drinking water, efficient wastewater systems, and healthy rivers and lakes.
Environmental Defence said the funding announcement for local water projects was long overdue, and complained that many First Nations communities still have a problem with safe drinking water.
“More still needs to be done to ensure that our water resources are protected and that everyone has access to safe and clean drinking water,” said spokeswoman Ashley Wallis.
