Water, wastewater, solid waste projects flush with $45M in federal funding

Ottawa is providing $45 million through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to support water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure projects across the Northwest Territories.

The approved projects are in communities across the NWT, including: Behchokǫ̀, Colville Lake, Dél̨ınę, Fort Good Hope, Fort Liard, Fort McPherson, Fort Providence, Fort Smith, Inuvik, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e, Tsiigehtchic, Ulukhaktok and Yellowknife.

Investments will support upgrades to water treatment plants, water storage and distribution systems, wastewater infrastructure, and solid waste facilities.

In total, these investments will enable the construction of up to 2,300 housing units, according to the federal government.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty made the announcement in Behchokǫ̀, which suffered last winter with low water levels at its intake in the Rae neighbourhood and frozen pipes in many areas.

“Here in Behchokǫ̀, we’ll be investing over $5 million for the replacement and improvement of the Rae underground water and sewer systems,” said Alty, who is also the NWT’s MP. “The 18 projects being funded through today’s announcement, will make a real difference in communities right across the territory, helping build more homes, bringing down the cost of housing, creating dozens of good-paying jobs, and ultimately building stronger communities.

“And they demonstrate what’s possible when we work together, when federal investments here are matched by the leadership and priorities of communities here in the North, but we know that more still needs to be done through Building Canada Homes and the Urban, Rural, and Indigenous Housing Strategy.”

Behchokǫ̀ Chief Bertha Rabesca Zoe was happy with the announcement, but took the opportunity to remind everyone that there is still a significant need for infrastructure in other areas of the community.

Said the Chief: “The systems in Rae and Edzo are approximately 40 to 50 years old in many areas. Some infrastructure is operating at or near capacity, and there are significant, significant needs for replacement, upgrading, and research to determine the best long-term solutions.

She added that the funding will support the work needed to better understand the condition and needs of the water and wastewater systems, as well as the replacement or renewal of aging infrastructure.

“For Behchokǫ̀, water and wastewater infrastructure are directly connected to housing, we need to be able to build new homes for our people, but we also need the infrastructure capacity to safely support those homes,” she said.

“We have significant housing needs in our community, and we want to see our community grow in a way that is safe, healthy, and sustainable. As we move forward, it is important that future planning continues to reflect Tłı̨chǫ values and the way our community lives, (as) Tłı̨chǫ people value sharing and looking after one another.

“We value self-reliance and the ability to make decisions for ourselves.”

As the federal funding agreement requires some money from the GNWT or other governments (see table here), Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong noted, “investment in Northern communities needs to reflect the realities of building and maintaining infrastructure in the North.”

She continued: “The costs are different, the conditions are different, and the needs of communities are different.

“Reliable water and wastewater systems help create the foundation needed to support new housing, welcome families, and allow communities, like Behchokǫ̀, to grow, housing is one of the biggest challenges facing communities across the Tłı̨chǫ region and in NWT.”

Some perspective from Behchokǫ̀ Chief Bertha Rabesca Zoe:

“It is important to understand that the infrastructure we are talking about is not just about pipes, water treatment, and wastewater systems. It is about the future of our community and the ability of our people to have safe housing, healthy communities, and opportunities to grow.

“Tłı̨chǫ people have lived on this land for generations before permanent communities, families travel across the land according to the seasons, waterways, the land, hunting, fishing, and family were at the centre of our way of life.

“Permanent communities and modern infrastructures are relatively new. In the late 1960s, decisions were made to develop Edzo and encourage people to move from Rae, and there were concerns from Tłı̨chǫ people about the location, access to water, consultation, and how decisions were made.

“That history is important because we are still dealing with infrastructure that was developed many decades ago. The system in Rae and Edzo are approximately 40 to 50 years old in many areas. Some infrastructure is operating at or near capacity, and there are significant, significant needs for replacement, upgrading, and research to determine the best long-term solutions.

“The funding will support the work needed to better understand the condition and needs of our water and wastewater systems, as well as the replacement or renewal of aging infrastructure.

“For Behchokǫ̀, water and wastewater infrastructure are directly connected to housing, we need to be able to build new homes for our people, but we also need the infrastructure capacity to safely support those homes.

“We have significant housing needs in our community, and we want to see our community grow in a way that is safe, healthy, and sustainable.

“We have a deep relationship with the land and water, and mobility and access to land remain important parts of our way of life, future development needs to be recognized in all of these things.

“The history of Behchokǫ̀ teaches us that infrastructure and community planning cannot be separated from the people who live here.

“Today, we have an opportunity to do things differently, we can work together to make decisions that support the community, strengthen infrastructure, and create opportunities for our people.”