The Town of New Tecumseth will be using a $9.5-million loan to finally settle a debt around the Georgian Bay pipeline, which sees Collingwood supply drinking water to its communities of Alliston and Beeton.
To facilitate construction of the pipeline in 1999, a number of financing mechanisms were put in place, including a loan to New Tecumseth provided by the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OWCA). It was a loan that had been accruing massive annual interest and at the end of 2020 saw some relief under a settlement between the Town, the New Tecumseth Improvement Society, and OWCA.
In 1995, the Honda Canada vehicle manufacturing facility decided to expand its Alliston production, but the town needed a new source of water. At the same time, Collingwood determined that it needed to sell the excess capacity of its proposed water treatment plant if the plant was to be affordable. Thus, the pipeline was created.
The pipeline’s story has been filled with developments over the years. On the positive end, it may have completed an extension to Tottenham in late 2021. But on a more challenging note, it has seen its supply capacity drop due to recent water shortages from the pipeline’s source in Collingwood, which paused local construction to conserve its water.
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The water plant in Collingwood needs to be expanded in order to meet its growth needs and those on the receiving end of its water pipeline.
