Improvements to Storm Drainage in Pictou Announced Under Infrastructure Program

SERVICE N.S./MUNICIPAL RELATIONS--Improvements to Storm Drainage in Pictou Announced Under Infrastructure Program

Heavy rains will be less of a concern to Pictou residents with the completion of a storm sewer project funded through the Canada/Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program.

Joint funding for the project, in the amount of $100,682, was announced today as one of 22 project approvals totalling more than $21.8 million, by Robert G. Thibault, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and Muriel Baillie, MLA for Pictou West, on behalf of Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations.

"The Province of Nova Scotia is pleased to have been a partner with our federal and municipal counterparts in the Canada/Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program," said Ms. Baillie. "This program will directly improve the quality of life for thousands of Nova Scotians."

Green municipal infrastructure that ensures effective wastewater management and safe drinking water is the first priority under the program. The majority of the federal and provincial funding announced in year one will be directed to green projects, like the storm drainage upgrade project in Pictou.

"The water we drink, the air we breathe, these are important to Nova Scotians and to the Government of Canada," said Mr. Thibault. "Through the Canada/Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program, we're investing in green projects that will clean our environment and improve our quality of life."

The $151,023 project will install new piping systems in two residential areas, which will remove the flow of storm water from domestic sewer lines. Once completed, the project will improve storm water drainage and reduce the number of basement leaks during heavy rainfall. The federal and provincial funding under the program is subject to the formal acceptance of the Town of Pictou, which will fund the balance of the project costs.

"This project will definitely have a positive impact on our community," said Mayor Lawrence A. LeBlanc. "We are pleased that our municipality has been able to work with the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia to make our community a better place to live, work and visit."

This is the first in a series of approval announcements for projects nominated by municipalities under the program. Additional announcements are expected as projects undergo environmental assessment and final approval.

The $195 million, six-year Canada/Nova Scotia Infrastructure Program is administered by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities is represented on the program's management committee.

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