Governments of Canada and Quebec celebrate Trois-Rivières' rehabilitated water treatment plant

Funding transferred from the federal Gas Tax Fund and Quebec's contribution

Trois-Rivières, Quebec, June 29, 2012 – Danielle St-Amand, Member of the National Assembly for Trois-Rivières and Deputy Government Whip, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, and Yves Lévesque, Mayor of Trois-Rivières gathered today to celebrate the completion of rehabilitation work performed on Trois-Rivières' water treatment plant. The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, was delighted that the Government of Canada supported this major project that will ensure Trois-Rivières' residents have access to clean and safe drinking water for years to come.

"Our Government will continue to invest in key infrastructure improvements in Quebec and across Canada," said Minister Lebel. "Projects such as this not only contribute to the health and well-being of local residents, they also provide jobs and economic growth for the region."

"Including Quebec's contribution, a total of $2.1 billion in government funding is now available to municipalities for the 2010-2014 period under the Gas Tax Fund. It is a stable, reliable and predictable source of funding for carrying out projects that are essential to the development of our communities and improving residents' quality of life. This new funding will allow the City of Trois-Rivières to plan its local infrastructure expenditures according to its needs and priorities. Investing in our infrastructure is investing in sustainable development, our future and Quebec's collective heritage. Through this commitment, our government is ensuring that current and future generations are able to take full advantage of this collective heritage," said MNA St-Amand.

Through the federal Gas Tax Fund and Quebec's contribution, the Government of Canada contributed approximately $13.7 million to this project and the Government of Quebec $5.7 million. The total cost of the project is more than $46.6 million.

The City of Trois-Rivières has used these funds to cover some of the repair work on its drinking water treatment plant, in particular alterations to the water intake, reconditioning of the raw water pumping station, and complete overhaul of the plant, including all its process equipment (decanters, filters, chemical and disinfectant feed systems) and other infrastructure, including the electrical entry and distribution, plumbing, ventilation, building electricity and structural and architectural components.

Through the Gas Tax Fund, the Government of Canada provides municipalities with stable funding for their infrastructure priorities. Close to $464 million is provided annually for municipal and public transit infrastructure in Quebec. On December 15, 2011, legislation was passed that will make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment.

The objective of the federal-provincial agreement on the transfer of a portion of federal gasoline tax revenues signed by Quebec and Canada in 2005 is to provide funding for the renewal of municipal and local infrastructure focusing on sustainable development, in particular in relation to drinking water, wastewater, local roads and public transit. From 2005 to 2010, Quebec municipalities received $1.15 billion from the Gas Tax Fund, in addition to a contribution from the Quebec government amounting to $475.7 million. The Canada-Quebec agreement, extended in 2009, provides for a further $1.85 billion in Government of Canada support from 2010 to 2014. With the addition of Quebec's contribution of over $907 million, total funding will amount to $2.76 billion.

Additional information

For further information on federal investment in infrastructure, consult the infrastructure.gc.ca Web site. For further information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, go to actionplan.gc.ca.

Contact:

Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700

Julie Boivin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
418-691-2050

Marianne Méthot
Press Secretary
Office of the MNA for Trois-Rivières
819-371-6901

Caroline St-Pierre
Communications
Office of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
418-691-2015

Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free 1-877-250-7154