Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund

PRIME MINISTER CHRÉTIEN CONFIRMS A $31-MILLION CONTRIBUTION TO CLEAN UP ST. JOHN'S HARBOUR

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, together with Allan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Infrastructure, confirmed the Government of Canada's $31-million contribution to clean up St. John's Harbour. Prime Minister Chrétien and Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Roger Grimes also announced that their governments would sign a formal agreement confirming this commitment within the next six months.

The Government of Canada, through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, will each provide $31 million for this $93-million project. The cities of St. John's and Mount Pearl, and the Town of Paradise have already confirmed their financial participation to the project for up to $31 million.

"The Governments of Canada and of Newfoundland and Labrador have agreed that the clean-up of St. John's Harbour is their top joint infrastructure priority in this province," said Mr. Chrétien. "This partnership between the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador, and the local communities to treat the sewage discharged into the Atlantic Ocean will have tremendous benefits for the people of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and for all Canadians."

"I am pleased to join the Prime Minister, and all of those who have worked to see the plan to clean up the St. John's Harbour become a reality. We are confirming today that we are going to fix this problem together," said Premier Grimes. "Fundamental to this is addressing the health of our residents and tourists. Today's endorsement of the harbour clean up encourages further economic development of our capital city."

The St. John's Harbour Clean-Up Project will involve the construction of a centralized treatment facility on the south side of St. John's Harbour, together with infrastructure for sewage collection and disposal of treated effluent. These initiatives will help prevent further pollution of the Harbour and provide for a world-class sewage system that will be both economical and effective.

Through the $2-billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the Government of Canada continues to collaborate with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, as well as with the private sector, to invest in strategic infrastructure projects across the country. Investments made through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund are directed to large-scale projects of major national and regional significance, in areas that are vital to sustaining economic growth and supporting an enhanced quality of life for Canadians.

The Government of Canada has been a long-time and key partner in the renewal and expansion of Canada's vital infrastructure. In the latest Speech from the Throne, it announced a long-term commitment to infrastructure across the country. This commitment was expressed in the following terms:

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien delivers a speech confirming the federal commitment to the St. John's Harbour Clean-up at the Signal Hill Interpretation Centre Annex in St. John's, Nfld.

From left to right are: Julie Bettney, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; Dave Denine, Mayor of the City of Mount Pearl; Dianne Whalen, Mayor of the Town of Paradise; Alan Rock, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Infrastructure; Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); Roger Grimes, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; Andy Wells, Mayor of the City of St. John's; and Oliver Langdon, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

BACKGROUNDER

PRIME MINISTER CHRÉTIEN CONFIRMS A $31-MILLION CONTRIBUTION TO CLEAN UP ST. JOHN'S HARBOUR

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien answers questions from the media following the announcement as Allan Rock, Industry Minister and Minister responsible for Infrastructure (left) and Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) (right) look on.

The federal investment in the St. John's Harbour Clean-Up under the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF) will be $31 million.

The total cost of the project will be approximately $93 million and will be jointly shared between the federal, provincial and municipal governments. The funding for the program will be broken down as follows:

Currently, the 120 million litres of untreated sewage from industry, commercial operations and institutions flow into St. John's Harbour each day negatively impacts both the natural habitat of various organisms and those persons in direct contact with Harbour water. The poor state of the Harbour was also reflected in the Sierra Legal Defence Funds National Sewage Report Card in 1999, which ranked St. John's Harbour as the dirtiest in Canada.

To facilitate the clean-up of St. John's Harbour, the federal, provincial and municipal governments (St. John's, Mount Pearl and Paradise) will work together to develop a new collection and treatment facility for all the sewage in the St. John's Harbour sewershed prior to discharge of the treated effluent into the Atlantic Ocean. The recommended site for this treatment plant is land located immediately east of the Main Pumping Station on Southside Road.

Construction of the facilities and structures needed for the Harbour clean-up project will generate $15 million in Gross Domestic Product and $60 million in tax revenue. In addition to these economic benefits, the clean-up will also contribute to an increase in tourism and commercial activity. As well, the clean-up will vastly improve the environmental impacts of years of spillage of sewage into the harbour. Finally, the clean-up will greatly contribute to the quality of life of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.