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With a promise of much more to come, the provincial and federal governments announced funding on Monday for projects aimed at supporting more housing construction in Regina, Saskatoon and Moose Jaw.
More than $25.9 million in funding from three levels of government will be flowing through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to the three projects: new and upgraded water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure for Regina’s vacant Taylor Field site; an expansion of Saskatoon’s Material Recovery Centre; and Moose Jaw’s Spring Creek stormwater management project.
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“It’s incredibly exciting to see multiple announcements,” Regina Mayor Chad Bachynski told reporters at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association convention in Regina.
“I think this is a true testament to all levels of government working together. We’re seeing the the acknowledgement that infrastructure is what’s required to build homes, and because we know we need to build homes and that acknowledgement has occurred, this is what happens.
“I’ve said before, we have a $700 million infrastructure deficit. I’m proud to say that we’ve now started to chip away at that.”
The three projects are getting a total of $14.1 million from Ottawa, $11.8 million from the province and $9.4 million from the three cities.
Buckley Belanger, Canada’s secretary of state for rural development, praised the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association’s lobbying efforts, but said he’s also able to help advocate for Saskatchewan as a the province’s only Liberal MP.
“I would just tell people out there, without getting overly political, that representation matters,” Belanger said. “I think we have to be at the table. And the other perspective is, good partnerships matter as well.”
The fund was created in the 2024 budget, with up to $6 billion committed to building and upgrading core infrstructure, in order to pave the way for more housing and greater urban density.
Communities across Saskatchewan will get a total of $187.9 million in federal dollars through Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, with the province putting in another $156.5 million.
Eric Schmalz, Saskatchewan’s minister of government relations, said many more projects will be announced in the coming months.
“They’re shovel-ready projects. We’re not talking five years down the road,” Schmalz told reporters.
“I can guarantee you – and Buckley and I have had many conversations over this – that we are in constant conversation about future programming, future supports that we can bring to Saskatchewan for the municipalities in this province, and we have a good relationship and good dialoge on that topic, and many others.”
Cities keen to support growth and new housing
Bachynski said the funding represents the first step towards getting the seven-acre Taylor Field site developed. The former Mosaic Stadium at Taylor Field was demolished in 2017, but a final vision for the site hasn’t yet been created.
“The first step is to get the infrastructure in place,” the mayor said. “So that’s design work that we will be working on very quickly here, and then the goal will be to get an RFP out to market.
“I know there’s been preliminary conversations with developers throughout the community to gauge that interest. And there’s absolutely interest in the Taylor Field development, as there has been for a very long time.”
Some of the funding announced Monday will go towards water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure for the redevelopment of the seven-acre Taylor Field site in Regina. (Geoff Smith/980 CJME)
For Saskatoon, the expansion of the recovery centre is meant to help the city reach its goal of diverting 70 per cent of waste away from the landfill.
“In 2011, the City of Saskatoon had a report back that said we had 10 to 15 years left in our landfill. That’s today,” city councillor Jasmin Parker said, as she explained that the funding announcement will help extend the life of the landfill until 2070.
“But in order to be able to continue to do that work and to continue to extend the life of our landfill at the rate that we’re growing, this work is imperative,” she added.
Moose Jaw Mayor James Murdock said the water management project is a big key for the city’s growth and expansion plans. The project will expand stormwater capacity along Spring Creek, which flows for 2.2 kilometres through the city, including Crescent Park.
“It’ll alleviate any future flooding with the new infrastructure, with piping and culverts and expansion,” he said. “I’m excited for the opportunity that there will be growth that can happen immediately for the city with new housing and buildings.”
But for the urban municipalities association, the lobbying work isn’t done. Association president Randy Goulden said several meetings in Ottawa have been scheduled for next week.
Goulden said the planned closure of Agriculture Canada research stations, including one in Indian Head, are high on her list of items for discussion. She said she plans to use her own community of Yorkton as an example to drive home the importance of agricultural research.
“We have two canola crush plants. We have an oats processing plant. We have flax processing. That’s what keeps our community viable and sustainable, and so we need the work that comes out of those research stations,” Goulden said.
But while there’s more work to do, Goulden said Monday’s announcement was a good first step in getting municipal projects funded, and delegates at the association’s convention will work to build on that progress.
