Local officials met on Monday, February 9 at Leamington’s Municipal Building to formally announce the Province of Ontario’s investment in Leamington’s Northwest Quadrant Sewer Separation project and the Township of Pelee’s East Shore Distribution and Water Storage Rehabilitation project.
The formal announcement comes on the heels of a news release published in last week’s Southpoint Sun.
Leamington will receive up to $7,140,411 toward their project and Pelee Island $707,884 toward theirs. The funding is being delivered through the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program – Health and Safety Water Stream.
Leamington Mayor (and Warden of Essex County) Hilda MacDonald thanked Chatham-Kent Leamington MPP Trevor Jones for being a strong advocate for this area.
“We’re grateful that you are our MPP,” she said to Jones. “The fact that you know us, you know our community so well, you understand our challenges.”
MacDonald said that Jones and the province recognize those challenges — especially with infrastructure — is a positive step.
“The last time I was in front of Minister Bethlenfalvy (Ontario’s Minister of Finance), he asked what could the province do for the mayors of the region,” she said.
“I said infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure.”
The Northwest Quadrant encompasses the area north of the old LDSS property and includes the Elliott, Hodgins and Wilkinson Drive area, among others. That area has been prone to flooding over the years and Jones says that’s a critical part of the project.
“We want to build the infrastructure now,” said Minister Jones. “Build the capacity to reduce and mitigate flooding in that area. This also builds the potential for employment lands. We need to build houses now.”
“We need to make sure the water that leaves our system is treated properly and protects us from flooding,” he added. “Especially the ones on Elliott Street, which I know that councillors get calls on. Some of those homes have been flooding for 50 years.”
On Pelee Island, Mayor Cathy Miller is equally as grateful as the island faces infrastructure issues of its own.
“The Township of Pelee is one of the smallest municipalities in the province and with that in mind, we really need good advocates on our side, so we’re really grateful for Minister Jones,” she said. “When we’re telling our story about what $700,000 does to improve potable water access and emergency, health and safety access for water on Pelee Island, it’s huge,” she added.
Mayor Miller says that the funds will go toward repairs to their water distribution system and says the money came at the right time.
“When we talk about wanting to live on Pelee and do business on Pelee, being able to sustain our infrastructure is required,” she added. “This gives us a little bit more emergency response access, keeps water available and also supports housing on the east shore of the island.”
She expects the work to start this spring on the more urgent aspects of the project, which will take about three years to complete.
