Water, wastewater and stormwater management improvements for 116 First Nations

Fort William Councillor Michele Solomon, Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu, Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak and Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro at an Oct. 10 funding announcement for 235 projects to improve water, wastewater and stormwater management in 116 First Nations across Ontario.

By Rick Garrick

FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION – Improvements to Fort William’s stormwater system were among 235 projects announced on Oct. 10 to improve water, wastewater and stormwater management in 116 First Nations across Ontario. Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister Patty Hajdu and Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro delivered the announcement during a press conference at the Fort William Council Chambers.

“It allows us to do some work to our stormwater system and it also allows us to tie in new housing projects and new housing initiatives in the community, which were limited by our infrastructure,” says Fort William Councillor Michele Solomon about the funding. “All communities are limited by infrastructure, so this is great news for Fort William First Nation.”

The federal government is providing $8,885,876 to fund up to 50 per cent of the costs for the 235 projects while the provincial government is providing $4,442,944 to fund up to 25 per cent of the costs. The recipient First Nation communities are covering the remaining costs of the projects.

“It’s really awesome that this investment is being made to First Nations across Ontario,” Solomon says. “It’s important that we have clean drinking water. Fort William First Nation has certainly been privileged in terms of having clean drinking water. There are many communities where it is an on-going struggle with boil water advisories and things of that nature, so this is vital to a community’s wellbeing.”

Fort William received $47,500 from the federal government and $23,750 from the provincial government for installation of a new stormwater pipe; $25,000 from the federal government and $12,500 from the provincial government for an extension of the Little Lake Road watermain; and $19,500 from the federal government and $9,750 from the provincial government for extension of water distribution and fire protection improvements.

“This is a step in the right direction — it’s a tangible expression of reconciliation,” Hajdu says. “This investment is really about making sure that we start that hard work of bringing things to a place where First Nations people have an equal quality of living as every other Canadian.”

Hajdu says the investment will help First Nations better protect public health and safeguard the property and livelihoods of residents and businesses while conserving the local environment.

“In my own riding of Thunder Bay-Superior North, eight communities will have money that is going forward to help them with various aspects of their water treatment,” Hajdu says.

Funding for the 235 projects was approved under the Canada-Ontario Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF) agreement, which is designed to improve the safety and quality of water for Canadian families, while supporting a clean economy. The federal government contributed $569 million towards 50 per cent of the eligible CWWF project costs.

“Smaller First Nations and smaller municipalities and local service boards have limited capacity to conduct their infrastructure projects,” Mauro says. “That is why I am happy the province is now part of this. The province was not involved at the beginning — we’ve brought $270 million new dollars over two years into this program.”

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Don Rusnak, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and a Lac des Mille Lacs band member, says the funding will help communities to maintain and upgrade parts of their water systems.

“There is a huge need in First Nation communities for clean water and we’ll be moving forward with further announcements,” Rusnak says. “This announcement is a good start to help bring some of the communities up to date.”