Photo: Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger, Saskatchewan Minister Lori Carr, Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle and MLA David Chan.
By: Andrea Moss
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SASKTODAY.ca
Yorkton is receiving approximately $36.6 million in federal and provincial funding to begin what city officials call the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history.
The money is part of more than $74 million in joint federal and provincial funding announced Oct. 13 for water, wastewater, sewer and drainage projects across Saskatchewan.
The investment, announced in Yorkton by federal Secretary of State for Rural Development Buckley Belanger and Saskatchewan Minister Lori Carr, includes funding for 11 projects aimed at supporting housing development and economic growth in communities across the province.
The largest share of the funding will go toward Phase 1 of Yorkton’s Water Pollution Control Plant Renewal Project. The work includes upgrades to the H.M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant headworks facility, increasing treatment capacity and helping accommodate future residential and commercial growth.
The improvements could potentially support development equivalent to roughly 7,150 additional housing units while also improving environmental outcomes for Yorkton Creek and the broader Assiniboine watershed.
Belanger said infrastructure investments are necessary to support growing communities and housing development across Saskatchewan.
“Building Canada Strong starts with building strong communities, and infrastructure is the backbone of our communities,” he said.
The federal government is contributing more than $40.1 million through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, while Saskatchewan is providing nearly $33.4 million. Municipal governments will contribute a combined $26.3 million toward their respective projects.
Of the provincial and federal funding announced, approximately $36.6 million is earmarked for the first phase of Yorkton’s wastewater treatment plant renewal.
Belanger credited local advocacy efforts for helping secure the funding and noted support came from across the political spectrum.
Belanger said the project’s advocates included politicians from across the political spectrum, singling out Saskatchewan NDP Opposition Leader Aleana Young for lobbying the federal government on Yorkton’s behalf.
“Aleana Young has been phoning me on a regular basis asking for some of these projects in Yorkton,” he said. “We’re moving forward on that. You can leave Buckley alone now for a while.”
Belanger said Yorkton’s application stood out because of sustained lobbying efforts by the city and support from elected representatives at multiple levels, including Yorkton Mayor Aaron Kienle and MLA David Chan.
Carr said the Yorkton project was among those selected by the province from numerous applications submitted under the housing infrastructure program.
“We chose these projects as a provincial government to submit to the federal government for approval on our recommendation,” she said.
She said upgrading the facility will increase capacity, reduce the risk of untreated wastewater releases during major storms and help accommodate future growth.
Kienle called the announcement a milestone for the city.
“This funding represents the single largest grant this city of Yorkton has ever received,” he said.
The mayor said the headworks component was selected as the first phase because the funding available closely matched the project’s cost.
However, he noted significantly more funding will be required to complete the full renewal.
The city estimates the total project cost has risen to approximately $340 million as planning and design work has advanced. Kienle said Yorkton intends to continue working with both levels of government to secure additional funding and hopes construction on the first phase can begin in 2027.
He said the city’s contribution to Phase 1 has already been accounted for through utility reserves and rates, and officials are not planning tax increases to fund the project.
In addition to Yorkton, the funding announced will support sewer infrastructure in La Ronge to enable two apartment developments totalling about 124 housing units. Other approved projects include water and wastewater upgrades in Estevan, Swift Current, Shellbrook, Arcola and Big River, lagoon expansion in the RM of St. Louis No. 431, drainage improvements in Warman and infrastructure planning work in Naicam.
Belanger said the projects are expected to help enable more than 13,500 new homes across Saskatchewan.
“Communities know what they need, and governments need to work together to help deliver those needs,” he said.
Infrastructure funding announcement in Oct. 13 at the H.M. Bailey Water Pollution Control Plant in Yorkton.