The federal government has announced funding for 10 projects in five municipalities, including Parkland County, that are struggling to transition from dependence on the coal industry.
On Wednesday, July 3, Minister for PrairiesCan, Dan Vandal, announced over $39.4-million in funding to support sustainable economic growth in coal affected communities across Alberta through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative (CCTI) and Canada Coal transition Initiative-Infrastructure Fund (CCTI-IF). Officials say this funding can be used to support the construction of new infrastructure to attract new investments, grow businesses and create stronger communities with better paying jobs.
“Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is good for our environment, our economy, our health, and our future,” says Vandal. “This government’s support for these 10 projects represents our prioritization of workers and communities impacted by coal transition. These investments will help create good-paying jobs, attract new investment opportunities and build a stronger, more sustainable economic future in Alberta and across the Prairies.”
Officials say Parkland County will be receiving $17.5-million to be used for upgrades to the Wabamun wastewater facility and the addition of a new water feature and redevelopment of the existing public waterfront in the Hamlet of Wabamun. As well as $12.4-million to upgrade Spruce Valley and Pinchbeck-Bevington Road intersections on Highway 16A to increase access to Acheson Industrial Area.
Allan Gamble, Mayor of Parkland County, says he welcomes the funding and the improvements that come along with it.
“These investments are key to encouraging the future growth of our community and improving the quality of life of our residents, businesses, and visitors,” says Gamble. “This funding supports improvements to County infrastructure and will boost local tourism and development while leading to future economic prosperity and a sustainable economy. We look forward to the many opportunities and economic development that will arise from these investments – Parkland County’s future is bright.”
According to officials, projects that receive funding should create more than 680 jobs in Alberta, adding to an increasingly diversified prairie economy.
Other municipalities that received funding include:
- Paul First Nation – $850,000 for a transition, training, and employment centre for entrepreneurship training and business support.
- The Town of Castor – $891,000 to reconstruct and convert a campground area into a year-round multipurpose venue.
- The Town of Coronation – $891,000 to renovate and retrofit two buildings into business incubator and accelerator centres that offer business supports and programming to foster commercial growth.
- The Village of Forestburg – $313,000 to develop land and underground utilities for the proposed Jeanne Lougheed Historic Park and to the Flagstaff County border to support a proposed joint industrial park.
The investments are said to bring total federal funding for Alberta communities to over $14-million invested since 2018 through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative (CCTI) and over $60-million invested since 2019 through Canada Coal Transition Initiative-Infrastructure Fund (CCTI-IF).
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