Residents of Cumberland will benefit from new wastewater infrastructure thanks to joint funding from the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Small Communities Fund.
Through the project, approximately 1.6 kilometres of new storm water pipe and approximately 600 metres of sanitary sewer pipes will be installed in the Dunsmuir area of the Village of Cumberland. These upgrades will reduce the quantity of storm water entering the sanitary sewer system and, ultimately, the wastewater treatment system, reducing treatment system operating costs. The upgrades will also help the Village meet current standards for sewer discharge.
The Province of British Columbia will provide up to $922,521 for the project. That amount will be matched by the federal government, through the the Small Communities Fund, and the Village of Cumberland will be responsible for the remaining third of the cost.
The total cost of the project is $2,767,564.
Through the Small Communities Fund, the governments of Canada and British Columbia are working in partnership to provide funding for priority public infrastructure projects that deliver on local needs in communities across the province that have fewer than 100,000 residents.Quick Facts
“We are proud to invest in projects like these sewer improvements in Cumberland that will benefit our community by improving much needed local infrastructure,” said North Island MP John Duncan. “Our government’s commitment to municipalities, big and small, has never been stronger. Through the New Building Canada Plan’s Small Communities Fund, we are investing in priority infrastructure projects that have a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life of British Columbia’s residents while helping create jobs and economic growth.”
Comox Valley MLA Don McRae, who was present for the announcement, said the project will prove to be a cost-saver for Cumberland.
“This additional piping for Cumberland’s storm water and sewer system will ultimately reduce the costs of operating the system by eliminating storm water from entering the wastewater treatment process,” he said. “We recognize the value of our partnership and the importance of the federal and provincial governments working with local governments to make this type of project possible.”
Cumberland May Leslie Baird, who was also on hand for the announcement, pointed out the environmental and economic spin-off benefits of the project.
“(The project) will improve the environmental impact on the receiving waters of Maple Creek, Trent River and Baynes Sound,” she said. “Cumberland residents will be excited to know that this $2.7 million project will pave the way for future enhancement projects in our historic village commercial core and will stimulate our local economy by supporting downtown revitalization as well as residential growth.”