The RM of Sifton will receive $5.5 million in Federal and Provincial money for repairs and upgrades. This funding will be to rebuild the Oak Lake West Dike and rehabilitate or replace the existing concrete control structure in order to improve drought proofing of the lake and to reduce the risk of damage to the diking system during flood events.
When asked how this project will help to drought proof the lake and how the beach, resort and marina might be affected, RM of Sifton CAO, Lon Turner says, “the RM is not paying anything. The design and construction will happen over the next two to three years and will not really involve the RM.”
The Government of Canada is investing more than $78.6 million in eleven projects under the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The government of Manitoba is investing over $67.8 million, and contributions by recipients toward their respective projects are over $43.2 million. The projects will rehabilitate key water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as raise, rehabilitate, and replace dikes and dams.
The city of Brandon will receive funding to replace their water and waste treatment plant. Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest says “This is likely Brandon’s single largest municipal project in our history.”
The city of Thompson will benefit from the rehabilitation of more than 13.8 km of water pipes, and more than 3.3 km of wastewater pipes.
Dikes in St. Adolphe and St. Agathe will be raised to the 1:200-year flood protection level.
