INVERNESS: The federal, provincial, and municipal governments are contributing a combined $24 million to replace the water and waste water system serving the community.
During an announcement at the Inverness Volunteer Fire Department hall on March 17, it was confirmed that the Government of Canada is providing $9,764,400, the Government of Nova Scotia is contributing $8,137,000, and the Municipality of the County of Inverness is adding $6,509,600 towards the replacement of the municipality’s aging wastewater treatment facility in Inverness with a new, more efficient facility to protect the health of surrounding waters.
The funding will enable the municipality to upgrade the sanitary collection of wastewater and water distribution systems on Central Avenue and on Veteran’s Memorial Court in Inverness, joint press releases from the federal and provincial governments noted.
Inverness Warden Bonny MacIsaac told The Reporter this was an “historic day” celebrating the largest infrastructure upgrade the municipality has ever undertaken.
“This is a transformational announcement for the community of Inverness and I’m so very proud to be able to represent our council at this exciting time, when the municipality and senior levels of government are investing so much all across Inverness County,” she told the crowd at the announcement. “It’s going to have a positive impact on the quality of life for this community for generations and is a building block for the future growth of the county.”
MacIsaac, who is also the municipal councillor for the Inverness area, said much of the community’s water distribution and waste water collection systems, as well as the waste water treatment plant, were installed in the 1970s. She said this has been an issue in the community for decades, involving rallies and the municipality transporting water to Inverness last summer.
“Although there was an upgrade in 1996, our infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life,” she said. “This is decades waiting for this announcement; it’s been a long time.”
While the municipality said it owns an estimated $186 million of water and wastewater assets, a report commissioned in 2019 indicated that $103 million will be required over the next 10 years to improve and maintain the infrastructure and services to residents, according to a press release the municipality issued on March 17
The municipality said the bulk of the infrastructure deficit is in Inverness. The report identified the Inverness wastewater treatment plant as a priority for replacement due to its age, condition, and operational deficiencies, the municipality said, noting that it determined that the distribution systems are in “exceptionally poor condition.”
“That investment is needed to address asset conditions and maintain levels of service,” MacIsaac stated. “About 40 per cent of that total investment is needed here in the community of Inverness.”
The municipality identified the planned resurfacing of Central Avenue by the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works as an opportunity to replace the undersized and failing linear water and sanitary sewer mains.
Calling this one the of the largest infrastructure projects in the province, Deputy Premier and Inverness MLA Allan MacMaster said water is the number one issue he’s heard about from the residents of Inverness.
“What a day for Inverness,” MacMaster told the gathering. “And now, something so basic as a good source of drinking water, putting the whites in the washing machine and them coming out white, the simple pleasures in life, Inverness, now you have it.”
Not only will users of the water system get better drinking water, MacMaster said the upgrades will be easier on home appliances and provide a future without pipes bursting underneath Inverness streets.
Since first impressions matter, MacMaster said this will help Inverness look like the world-class tourism destination that it is.
“This project is going to help. It’s basic infrastructure, yet it’s very important infrastructure,” he noted. “When your water, and your waste water, your streets, your sidewalks, your curb and gutter are all up to snuff, things can look pretty spiffy. We know when these things are done right, they lay the ground work for a community that’s growing, and Inverness is growing.”
Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway told The Reporter that replacing the infrastructure will support residential and commercial growth, while creating jobs.
“An infusion of this type of money has an impact that has a domino effect, has a multiplier effect on the community; impacts people in the private sector that are going to come in and do this work,” he stated.
The MP said this project will reduce water pollution and shows how the economy and environment can benefit at the same time.
“The reality is that this is going to fundamentally treat water and waste in the water in an environmentally sound, green way. That technology was probably not available 10 or 15 years ago so this is modern technology, knowledge exchange and information exchange, going into community development,” he said. “We’re seeing green climate focused technology to address waste, to address water spillage into the downtown core of Inverness. That is a particularly important thing in today’s world so we have to reduce the water pollution and provide clean drinking water.”
During the announcement, Kelloway noted the importance of working with the provincial and municipal governments, as well as community organizations, on this file.
“We collectively put our heads together, we went after this money, we made sure that we followed through every step of the way,” he said. “When municipalities, and the province, and the federal government are actually communicating and working together, this is what happens.”
Pointing to an announcement in Port Hawkesbury earlier this year, as well as an upcoming funding commitment for Richmond County, Kelloway said infrastructure is one of his top priorities.
“You need strong infrastructure, you need to keep it up but you also need new infrastructure,” he stated. “Big things can happen in rural communities and you see it time and time again in Cape Breton-Canso.”
MacIsaac added that the municipality is currently in the planning phase of the project, including design work, and they expect to start preparation work in the spring.
“We have a lot done too for the project, but there’s more to be done,” she added.