September 18, 2024
MOOSE CREEK, Ontario - The Ontario government is investing $26,675,584 to enable the construction of new homes in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. The funding is being delivered through the first round of investments under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which includes $970 million to help municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.
This funding will support the Moose Creek Water Sewage Lagoon Expansion . This will enable 261 new homes to be built in North Stormont.
“Our community has received a tremendous funding resource in the Housing-Enabling Water System Fund grant. As with so many municipalities in Ontario, North Stormont was struggling with limited infrastructure, and the lack of monetary resources, to expand wastewater capacity, to support residential growth. The Province of Ontario broadly, and our local communities specifically, need diverse and expanding housing options to solve the housing crisis,” says North Stormont Mayor, François Landry. “North Stormont municipal Council, in partnership with local developers, had plans to support expanded, and alternative, housing opportunities. This initiative was being hampered by the lack of infrastructure capacity within our wastewater management system. This key obstacle in achieving this goal has now been removed with this Provincial funding announcement to expand wastewater capacity with the village of Moose Creek. North Stormont would like to thank the Province of Ontario with investing in our Township.”
This funding will also support both the Ingleside and Long Sault Water Treatment Plants. This will enable 2,817 new homes to be built in South Stormont.
“The Township is thrilled to receive this critical funding from the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund,” says South Stormont Mayor, Bryan McGillis. “This funding, which is dedicated to the expansion of the of the Ingleside Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Long Sault Water Treatment Facility, will allow the Township to expand our capacity and support employment and residential development in our region. We are excited for the opportunities that this partnership will present for our rural community to support the provincial goal of developing 1.5 million homes by 2031.”
“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone for both North and South Stormont. With $4.8 million allocated to upgrade the Moose Creek Sewage Lagoon Expansion in North Stormont and $21.9 million dedicated to enhancing the Ingleside and Long Sault Plants in South Stormont, we are setting the stage for the development of nearly 3,000 new homes across our communities,” said MPP Nolan Quinn. “These investments are a key part of Ontario’s commitment to building 500,000 new homes and improving our critical infrastructure. By investing $1.2 billion in water systems province-wide, we are not only addressing current needs but also ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all Ontarians.”
The government is also allocating an additional $250 million and accepting a second round of applications through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, bringing the province’s total investment in the fund to $1.2 billion.
“By investing in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities build more homes,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Homes can’t be built without connections to drinking water and wastewater.”
In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund. In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes, and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund in order to meet this demand. In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.
QUICK FACTS
- Details about the second application intake and eligibility will be available at ontario.ca/watersystemsfund on August 14, 2024. The second intake will provide an additional $250 million in funding.
- The Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program will support core infrastructure projects that help enable housing, such as roads and water infrastructure.
- Investing in key local infrastructure through programs like the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program is part of the province’s capital plan of over $190 billion to build critical infrastructure and get more homes built faster to support growing communities and lay a strong foundation for future generations.