Canada is investing more than $1.1 million in 25 new Alberta infrastructure projects and $1.3 million in 30 new Saskatchewan infrastructure projects for small to mid-sized communities in both provinces.
The projects come through the Municipal Asset Management Program and are delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to help local officials improve their asset management policies and enable them to make solid infrastructure investment decisions.
Several of the projects in Alberta involve water infrastructure, including a survey of the existing watermain network for geographic information system (GIS) compatibility in the Town of Pincher Creek; an inventory and assessment of water, sewer and sanitary infrastructure in the Town of Valleyview; a service and risk assessment for water and sanitary services in Flagstaff County; and a pumphouse study in the Village of Acme.
Click here for the full list of Alberta projects.
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In Saskatchewan, water infrastructure will be the focus for a sanitary sewer condition assessment in the Town of Elrose, and for water and sewer testing analysis in the Village of Stockholm.
Click here for the full list of Saskatchewan projects.
Many of the communities receiving funding will be assisted to develop asset management plans that cost approximately $50,000. The plans help local leaders weigh budgetary needs against critical services such as roads, arenas, bridges, drinking water and wastewater systems. The plans also help communities consider population growth impact and the effects of changing weather patterns on infrastructure old and new.
The $110-million Municipal Asset Management Program has invested in more than 830 municipal asset management projects.
“Municipalities of all sizes are Canada’s builders,” said Garth Frizzell, FCM president, in a statement. “They own nearly 60% of the public infrastructure that supports Canada’s economy and quality of life. With strengthened asset management practices, they are making infrastructure investment decisions based on sound and reliable data,” Frizzell added.
Some of the communities in this round of funding are at various stages in the asset management planning process. The County of Lethbridge, Alberta, for instance, is in Phase 3: Financial strategy and asset management plan development, whereas the Town of St. Walburg, Saskatchewan, is in the data collection phase. Other communities are involved in management roadmaps and data centralization projects.
