By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
The Provincial Government announced it has approved providing the Town of Amherstburg $3.7MthroughitsMunicipalHousingInfrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream (MHIP-HSWS);a program created to help municipalities build, repair, and upgrade critical water-related infrastructure.
The announcement was made last Friday afternoon at an event hosted at the Columbus Community Hall.
The funds will go towards supporting the $5.12M Richmond Street Sanitary Sewer Replacement project.
The Town of Amherstburg will have to fund the rest.
The project will replace the trunk wastewater sewer in the downtown core. The existing sewer is more than 100-years-old, and has reached the end of its life. Altogether, over 425-meters of brick sewer will be replaced along Richmond Street, from Dalhousie Street to Seymour Street, with 900mm and 750 mm sewers. That will support the growing town, Amherstburg Mayor, Michael Prue, said, noting the Official Plan predicts the population will grow from 25,000 to 40,000 in the years to come.
This is an integral piece of the infrastructure, Prue added, as the sewer lines head downtown to get to the water treatment plant on Sandwich Street.
“These investments are about protecting public health and safety,” Essex MPP Anthony Leardi said when announcing the funding, ready to fill out the details on the oversized cheque.
Though water infrastructure is not something individuals see everyday, it is essential, Leardi said.
“Older pipes, sewer systems, and stormwater infrastructure can put homes at risk and create health problems,” Leardi commented. He added the funding allotment is equivalent to over a quarter of the local municipality’s typical annual Capital Budget, and would be difficult for Amherstburg to come up with that amount for the project on its own.
“Our government is proud to partner with our municipalities to strengthen essential infrastructure, protect public health and safety, and build resilient communities; and let’s keep building,” Leardi added.
Mayor Prue said the existing sewer desperately needs to be replaced.
He thanked Leardi and the Province for the grant.
“We will put it to absolutely important use to make sure that the water, wastewater, and sewers in this town … are repaired and that we keep the town healthy,” Prue said. “This upgrade isn’t just about replacing aging infrastructure, it is about mitigating future risk,” Prue added, noting the modelling from the Town’s 2021 Sanitary Sewer Assessment indicated that upsizing this sewer will help to address surcharging issues that can lead to basement flooding.
“This project is a proactive step to protect homes and businesses in Amherstburg, particularly in the downtown core.”
It is anticipated construction will start in the spring of 2027, following engineering studies, issuing the tender, and approval by the engineer.
The funds Amherstburg needs to put towards the project will need to be added to the 2027 Budget, Prue added, noting the Town has healthy reserves to build infrastructure like this.
Information provided noted this funding is part of the $4B investment the Province is putting into the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), included in Ontario’s $220B capital plan to build transit, highways, hospitals, schools, and water infrastructure that enables new housing.
