Canadians everywhere have felt the impact of COVID-19 on their families, their livelihoods, and their way of life. Canada and Saskatchewan have worked together to ensure health and safety, support families and businesses, and sustain local economies. Investments in Saskatchewan’s infrastructure during this extraordinary time provide an opportunity to create good jobs, improve essential public services, and make communities more sustainable and resilient in the long run.
Today, the Honourable Jim Carr, Minister and Special Representative for the Prairies, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Don McMorris, Saskatchewan’s Minister of Government Relations announced more than $222.83 million in joint program funding to support an infrastructure rejuvenation project at the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant. For the occasion, they were joined by Her Worship Sandra Masters, Mayor of the City of Regina, His Worship Fraser Tolmie, Mayor of the City of Moose Jaw, and Dale Schoffer, Chair of the Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation.
The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Plant, which was commissioned in 1955, supplies potable water to more than 260,000 people living in Regina, Moose Jaw and other communities in the region, which is nearly a quarter of Saskatchewan’s population. Among other works, the renewal project will upgrade the main treatment plant, pump stations and reservoirs. It will rejuvenate this important facility to meet the needs of the region's forecasted potable water demands in the decades ahead.
Under the Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program, the Government of Canada is investing more than $89.13 million, and indigenous consultation requirements must be met prior to the flow of funds. The Government of Saskatchewan is providing more than $74.26 million toward the project’s eligible costs. The Buffalo Pound Water Treatment Corporation, owned by the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw, is contributing more than $59.42 million under the program, and is responsible for any additional costs.
