Investment of $450,000 in Lac-Saint-Paul for water collection and treatment work

Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund

Lac-Saint-Paul, Quebec, August 18, 2009 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today joined David Whissell, Ministre du Travail and Ministre responsable de la région des Laurentides, acting on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Ministre des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire, in announcing that the Municipality of Saint-Paul will receive $360,000 in combined government financial assistance under the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) to carry out water collection and treatment work.

The municipality’s project involves installing a pumping system in each of its two existing wells and building the facilities necessary for the treatment and storage of water and hook-up to the existing water supply system. The work will also include installation of measurement gauges and recording as well as monitoring equipment. These upgrades will enable the municipality to bring its drinking water production infrastructure up to standard, improve the quality of the drinking water it distributes and conduct more effective monitoring.

Completion of this project will necessitate an overall eligible investment of $450,000 under component 1 of the MRIF. The governments of Quebec and Canada will each contribute $180,000 toward the work, for a total of $360,000 in joint government funding, while the Municipality of Lac-Saint-Paul will itself assume $90,000 of the project’s costs.

Lac-Saint-Paul Mayor Claude Ménard said he is pleased to see this project come to fruition in that it promises to enhance local citizens’ well-being and further the development of the municipality.

The Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is a cost-sharing initiative of the Government of Quebec and Government of Canada that makes $470 million in funding available to Quebec municipalities and non-governmental organizations. With the financial participation of these municipalities and organizations, this initiative could result in the execution of more than $700 million in infrastructure work. The objectives of the MRIF are to improve community infrastructure, the quality of the environment and citizens’ quality of life, and to promote long-term economic growth.

The program, which is in force until March 31, 2010, is administered by Quebec’s Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire. Canada Economic Development is responsible for delivering the federal portion of the MRIF on behalf of the Government of Canada.

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Source:

Communications Branch
Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire
Tel.: 514-873-6403

Information:

Sylvain Bourassa
Press Secretary
Office of the Ministre des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire
Tel.: 418-691-2050

Stéphanie Desforges
Senior Special Assistant
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-496-1282

Catherine Vallée
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-283-0368