The Rural Municipality of Lansdowne will benefit from an infrastructure project jointly announced today by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba. Funding of $660,000 for the project through the Canada-Manitoba Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) is based on equal contributions from the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, and local government.

The announcement was made today by Russ Hiebert, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification; and Drew Caldwell, Member of Legislative Assembly for Brandon East.

“The Government of Canada is proud to be working in partnership to improve our quality of life through modernized infrastructure,” said Hiebert. “This investment of $660,000 will allow the residents of the R.M. of Lansdowne and the Village of Arden to be confident in the quality and quantity of their water for years to come.”

“Both the RM and the Village of Arden will enjoy the benefits of improvements that will be made to the infrastructure system to improve water quality and also support better fire protection efforts,” said Caldwell.

The RM of Lansdowne, located in the North Central region of Manitoba, will use the $660,000 investment to install a water reservoir for the Village of Arden whose wells are susceptible to low water tables and water contamination. Many residents are forced to haul water due to shortages or contamination. Most systems are older, needing repairs and some are not functioning at all. This project will provide residents safe drinking water and provide the village with fire protection.

This new green infrastructure project is part of $11 million being announced this fall to improve drinking water and to enhance the environment in rural and northern communities by improving the quality of water and management of water, wastewater, and solid waste. These rounds of announcements are based on recommendations from the MRIF Rural/Northern Federal Provincial Local Consultative Committee (FPLCC). The FPLCC consists of local government representatives from the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC). The FPLCC was created to provide local input and knowledge in the MRIF project selection process in Rural and Northern Manitoba.

“The AMM is pleased to be a part of a successful partnership bringing much-needed infrastructure investments to Manitoba communities,” said Ron Bell, AMM President. “The water reservoir project being announced today will not only ensure adequate water supplies for the RM of Lansdowne, but adequate fire protection as well. The Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund has made a significant contribution to our members' infrastructure needs and I look forward to seeing more funds dedicated to these types of projects in the future.”

“The NACC is pleased to be part of a successful partnership bringing much-needed infrastructure investments to Rural Manitobans,” said Reg Meade, President of the Northern Association of Community Councils. “Clean safe drinking water is vital to the overall health of area residents.”

The initial Canada-Manitoba MRIF agreement invested a total of $120 million in communities across Manitoba. This year, an additional $25 million is being provided to MRIF through matching funds from the governments of Canada, Manitoba and local contributions as part of the commitment to help small communities meet their pressing infrastructure needs. This additional funding will bring the total federal and provincial investment and matching local contribution in MRIF Manitoba projects to $145 million.

Of the funds, 80 per cent are earmarked for communities with a population under 250,000, including 198 municipalities and 50 unincorporated Northern Community Councils in rural and northern Manitoba. The remaining 20 per cent of funds are awarded to communities with populations over 250,000.

More information on Canada and Manitoba infrastructure projects are available at: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/ and http://www.infrastructure.mb.ca/.

For additional information, contact:

Jana Lerner,
Communications Coordinator
Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Secretariat
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-8778
Toll-Free: 1-800-268-4883
Secretariat Website: http://www.infrastructure.mb.ca/

David Meister,
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 983-983-0789

John Thorpe,
Communications Coordinator
Government of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
(204) 945-4997
MB Government Website: http://www.gov.mb.ca/