The Ignace Water Pollution Control Plant will be receiving up to $4,827,125 in provincial funding to update, repair and stabilize the facility going forward, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford announced yesterday.
The funds from the province’s investment come from the Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS), which has a total budget of $875 million to support safe drinking water, housing, job creation protection for communities during extreme weather events. The HSWS funds are sourced as part of the $4 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP).
This expanded funding for critical water infrastructure will contribute to strengthening the safety and reliability of water services here in Ignace,” Rickford said in a press release. “The Health and Safety Water Stream is ensuring the safety, functionality and longevity of the water treatment plants that residents in Ignace rely on, today and into the future.”
Ignace Mayor Kim Baigrie thanked Rickford and the provincial government for their contributions to community funding.
“Minister Rickford has been a staple of unwavering support and representation for this community, and we praise the hard work he displays on our behalf at Queen’s Park,” Baigrie said in a release. “This funding is so critical for the ongoing safe operation, upgrades and repairs that we need to make to the wastewater facility in this community, in order that we can move forward with other key housing and commercial developments associated with the proposed growth around the upcoming NWMO developments.”
“It truly is a blessing that the Ontario government recognizes the importance of these key infrastructure projects and is assisting us with funding that we would otherwise have had increase taxes.”
Funds from the stream have also recently been announced at other municipalities across the district, with the most recent being at the Town of Rainy River on Feb. 12.
Ignace, which currently has a population around 1,200 people, is expected to see large growth in its numbers after the 2024 decision to move forward with the proposed $26 billion repository for used nuclear fuel from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area.
