Joggins' Wastewater Treatment Facility Receives Infrastructure Funding

Residents in Joggins, Cumberland Co., will benefit from an upgraded wastewater system, thanks to funding through the Canada-Nova Scotia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.

The project includes upgrades to the wastewater treatment facility and the extension of the sanitary sewer system. This will provide 60 new households, 125 existing homes and the new fossil interpretive centre, access to an improved wastewater collection and treatment system. This will help reduce risks to health and the environment with the elimination of raw sewage discharges.

Federal and provincial funding of $1,038,772 was announced today, Oct. 21. The Municipality of the County of Cumberland will fund the balance upon formal acceptance of the agreement.

"This project will not only improve the health and safety of residents in Joggins, it will be also bring economic opportunities to this area," said Murray Scott, Minister of Justice, on behalf of Jamie Muir, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "Building strong, healthy communities is a government priority."

"Canada's government is getting things done for the people of Joggins by investing in the Joggins Pollution Project, which will benefit 185 homes in Joggins and reduce risks to our health and the environment," said MP Bill Casey, speaking on behalf of Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

The new infrastructure program supports community infrastructure improvements, such as water, wastewater, and solid waste management.

"We have been working a long time on this wastewater project and we are very pleased to see it become a reality," said Keith Hunter, warden of the Municipality of the County of Cumberland. "This project would not be possible without the support from our federal and provincial partners. Their commitment will help make Joggins a healthy and safe place to live, invest and grow."

The $111 million, six-year Canada-Nova Scotia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund is administered by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities are members of the management committee.