Halifax residents in Harrietsfield to benefit from cleaner environment from investments

From: Infrastructure Canada

Harrietsfield, Nova Scotia, May 23, 2019-The governments of Canada and Nova Scotia recognize that strategic investments in green infrastructure play a key role in supporting dynamic, healthy communities while creating good jobs that help grow the middle class.

Today, the Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax, on behalf of the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Brendan Maguire, Member of Legislative Assembly for Halifax Atlantic, on behalf of the Honourable Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, announced funding to support the Harrietsfield Remediation Project.

This project consists of the restoration and proper containment of 10 hectares of contaminated soil in a former landfill and debris disposal facility in the Halifax Regional Municipality to improve ground water for the community of Harrietsfield. It also includes the removal of existing buildings, and removing and recycling debris buried outside the landfill area.

Once completed, residents in Harrietsfield will benefit from a cleaner local environment. The site will also no longer be used for future industrial activities.

The Government of Canada is contributing over $6.7 million to the project through the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Nova Scotia government is contributing over $8.3 million.

"Since 2015, I've been working side-by-side with the people of Harrietsfield and Brendan Maguire, MLA Halifax Atlantic, to clean up contaminated land in the community. Today the federal government is stepping up to the plate in close partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia to deliver for Harrietsfield. Our investment means residents will be able to raise their families in a cleaner environment and preserve public health for generations to come.""

Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax, on behalf of the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development

"So many individuals and organizations worked day and night to make today a reality. This project is extremely important to the residents of Harrietsfield who have been advocating to have the site remediated for many years. I'm pleased that there is now funding from the Province and the Federal governments for this important project that will result in a cleaner and healthier, local environment."

Brendan Maguire, Member of Legislative Assembly for Halifax Atlantic, on behalf of the Honourable Lloyd Hines, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal

Quick facts

  • Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

  • $26.9 billion of this funding is supporting green infrastructure projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

  • Budget 2019, Investing in the Middle Class, is the federal government's plan to create more well-paying jobs, put home ownership within reach for more Canadians, help working people get the training they need to succeed, support seniors and lay the foundation for national pharmacare.

  • With many municipalities across Canada facing serious infrastructure deficits, Budget 2019 includes a one-time top-up of $2.2 billion to the federal Gas Tax Fund to help address short-term priorities in municipalities and First Nations communities.

  • These investments complement the Atlantic Growth Strategy, a federal-provincial action plan aimed at stimulating economic growth in the region through five priority areas:

    • Skilled workforce/Immigration;
    • Innovation;
    • Clean growth and climate change;
    • Trade and investment;
    • Infrastructure.
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