The communities of Gander Bay South, Beachside and Glovertown in central Newfoundland will undertake improvements to their municipal water and waste water systems, thanks to federal and provincial contributions made under the Canada/Newfoundland and Labrador Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF).

"Canada's new government is helping to ensure that our municipalities have modern equipment to provide their residents with clean, safe water," said the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador, on behalf of the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). "Helping municipalities improve their infrastructure systems has a direct impact on quality of life for families, and our government is pleased to help support these projects in central Newfoundland."

"Sustainable communities require reliable infrastructure, and the province is pleased to contribute $339,000 to support these valuable projects which will improve water and sewer components in Gander Bay South, Beachside and Glovertown," stated the Honourable Jack Byrne, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. "Communities will experience more reliable, efficient services as a result of these investments."

The Local Service District of Gander Bay South will upgrade the municipal waterline with a contribution of $236,850. The project involves the replacement of an existing watermain in the Harris Point area to provide a reliable water distribution system to 30 households. The federal government will provide $78,950 for the Gander Bay South project, while the provincial share will be $111,320, with the municipality providing the remaining $46,580.

The Town of Beachside in Green Bay will upgrade its existing water and sewer system with a contribution of $365,980 which will provide new municipal sewer servicing to 22 households on Backcove Road, Parsonage Road and Pumphouse Road. The federal government will provide $121,993 for the project, while the provincial share will be $172,011 with the municipality providing the remaining $71,976.

The Town of Glovertown will receive a contribution of $137,823 to build an extension to their chlorination building to house new pH-control equipment which will help alleviate the need for high levels of chlorine. Funding for this project will include $45,941 from the federal government, $55,589 from the province and $36,293 from the municipality.

The $84 million, six-year Canada-NL MRIF Agreement is administered jointly by the Department of Municipal Affairs on behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and ACOA, on behalf of Infrastructure Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities, acting on behalf of communities, helps set the strategic direction of the agreement and identify priorities under the capacity-building component of the agreement.

For more information on MRIF, visit //www.mpa.gov.nl.ca/mpa/mrifa/default.htm or e-mail MRIF@gov.nl.ca. For additional information on this and other infrastructure programs administered by the Government of Canada, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.

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