SASKATOON — The $2 billion federal government infrastructure program has all three prairie rural municipality associations making plans for their provinces.
In Saskatchewan, officials are thinking roads, in Manitoba it’s water and sewer and in Alberta, it’s much the same.
Bernard Kirwan, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), said the first priority for his association is the designated road system. There are 60,000 km of grid, supergrid and industrial roadways in the province.
“Only about one-third are being properly maintained,”said Kirwan.
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Fixing these roads will stimulate the local towns, the rural areas, agriculture and the mining sectors, he said.
SARM would like to see $12 million spent over two years from Saskatchewan’s share of $57 million. He’s quite confident the RMs can come up with that figure to match a provincial and federal share.
“We’re going to be annoyed if the $12 million doesn’t come,” said Kirwan.
He sees benefits like jobs for surveying, repairs and purchases of a wide-variety of supplies and equipment. And once the projects are completed, small towns will be in a good position to establish new industries.
As for the remainder of the money, SARM and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association will meet this month to come up with a list for other projects to cost-share.
In Manitoba, Jerome Mauws, executive director of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities, says his group will take a traditional approach to projects. Extension of natural gas lines, new and upgraded sewer and water projects, regional landfills and road re-construction are all items on RM lists. Manitoba’s total share is $68 million.
“The provincial government hasn’t identified where their money is coming from,”said Mauws. He’s concerned it won’t be new money but will come from other programs and services. He also admits it will be hard to divide the money between different regions of the province. He worries Winnipeg will get too big a share.
Like Kirwan, Mauws sees communities being able to attract new industry and jobs because of the improvements.
In Alberta, rural municipalities will undertake projects like water, sewer and roads.
“Even with the downturn in the economy and reductions in grants to municipalities, it is a very viable and worthwhile program”, said Roelof Heinen, of Picture Butte, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Councils.
But he said it will be a hardship for some MDs and counties to come up with the matching money particularly with recently announced government cuts.
Alberta’s share of the program is $172 million although the agreement hasn’t been formally signed yet.
