By The Canadian Press and Government of Alberta

Alberta and Ottawa Agree on $1B Cost Share for Public Transit and Water Projects

Sep 1, 2016 | 11:30 AM

EDMONTON – Alberta and the federal government say they’ve agreed to a deal which will unlock $1 billion in cash for public transit and waste-water projects.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi and his Alberta counterpart Brian Mason announced the bilateral agreement in Edmonton.

Sohi says Ottawa will chip in almost $550 million, while the province and municipalities will make up the rest.

He says the cash will improve infrastructure and create well-paying jobs.

Mason says the money will go toward crucial services such as public transportation and clean water.

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Some 46 transit projects across Edmonton are to get funding along with 17 water and waste-water upgrades.

While most of the money has be designated for Edmonton, there are three Southern Alberta projects on the list.  The MD of Pincher Creek will receive $2,288,403 for upgrades to the Beaver Mines Regional Water Supply, the County of Forty Mile is in line for $3,111,570 for the Foremost Manyberries Regional Pipeline and Taber will receive $1,865,000 for upgrades to the towns Industrial Wastewater Lagoon. 

A full list of the projects can be found the Alberta government website

Quick facts:

— This funding is part of the first phase of Investing in Canada, the Government of Canada’s historic $120-billion plan to support public infrastructure across the country over the next 10 years.
— Phase 1 of Investing in Canada provides $11.9 billion in investments to support public transit systems, green infrastructure projects, and social infrastructure projects. Details on Phase 2 of Investing in Canada will be announced over the coming months.
— This marks the tenth agreement the Government of Canada has signed with provincial and territorial partners in the last two months. As of today, over $5.1 billion is flowing to provinces and territories who have signed onto agreements for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund and the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
— Under this agreement, the Government of Canada has made its funding retroactive to April 1, 2016, so projects can proceed without delay to ensure a productive construction season.
— Transit projects outside of Edmonton and Calgary will be announced in the coming weeks.
— This funding will add to the Government of Alberta’s Budget 2016 five-year commitment to invest more than $1.9 billion in municipal water and wastewater improvement projects and public transportation across the province.
— On July 6, 2016 the Government of Alberta expanded the Green Transit Incentives Program (GreenTRIP) criteria to include all projects that would be eligible under the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
— The deadline for municipalities to submit applications for the third call for GreenTRIP projects was August 31, 2016. Approved projects, including some eligible for PTIF funding, will be announced in the coming weeks.
— The Government of Alberta funding for announced clean water projects will come from the province’s Water for Life grant program.
— No Water for Life projects were approved for nearly three years until the Alberta Government committed to spend $595 million over the next five years to fund vital water and wastewater projects.
— The Clean Water and Wastewater Fund projects announced today are in addition to the more than 50 projects approved in June 2016 to receive a total of $117 million under the Alberta Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership.