Federal and provincial ministers at the recent Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting in Vancouver last week announced $754,000 in funding for the San Pareil water system.
“San Pareil residents were pleased to learn that the federal government will fund their needed water treatment upgrade project for $477,000, with the province adding $277,000, leaving $142,800 to the region,” said Roy Alexander chair of the Shorewood/San Pareil Owners and Residents Association.
According to a federal government website, work on the $896,800 project (the total once the Regional District of Nanaimo taxpayer funds are added) is projected to begin Dec. 15, 2016.
The funding is part of the federal government’s announcement that they will be providing up to 50 per cent of funding for water infrastructure projects.
Regional District of Nanaimo Chair Bill Veenhof said this was great news, pointing out that traditionally funding has been split evenly between the local, provincial and federal sources, one-third each.
He said if the province continues to fund a third, that leaves the RDN responsible for 17 per cent.
An initial list of 35 water and wastewater projects was approved by the provincial and federal governments with $36.1 million in federal funding and $23.8 million in provincial funding.
Alexander expressed the boards’ gratitude to the various levels of government involved and noted that this funding targeted many smaller and rural communities.
“The RDN made a strong case for this essential upgrade,” he said. “We appreciate the efforts of our representative Joe Stanhope and MLA Michelle Stilwell to see this through.”
The upgrade in treatment was required as a result of new standards set by Island Health. Public meetings are planned, but not yet scheduled.
