‘Water is an essential service for families,’ Guilbault says during announcement at City Hall
Residents on streets in Laval’s Fabreville and Chomedey districts will be getting an upgrade in the quality of their drinking water, as well as the efficient flow of storm and wastewater flowing into their sewers, thanks to a more than $26 million grant announced by the Quebec Municipal Affairs Ministry last week.
Minister of Municipal Affairs Geneviève Guilbault and Minister responsible for the Laval region Christopher Skeete, were in Laval on November 28 to announce that $26,074,021 has been granted by the CAQ government to the city for the water infrastructure work.
Upgrading sewer and water pipes
A total of 13,520 metres of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater pipes will be replaced under dozens of streets in various neighbourhoods of Laval. The investment will allow for the replacement of aging pipes in several areas where outages and emergency interventions were becoming increasingly common.
In all, 13.5 kilometres of water and sewer infrastructure will be upgraded. The work will be conducted in Chomedey on a grid of streets lying between des Prairies and McNamara boulevards, as well as between Estelle St. and de Normandie Blvd. in Fabreville and Chomedey.
The work will improve the reliability of the drinking water system, its drainage capacity during heavy rainfall, and the quality of service for hundreds of families. It also aligns with the government’s efforts to support municipalities in maintaining their essential infrastructure.
Water ‘essential,’ said Guilbault
“Water is an essential service for families,” Guilbault said during the announcement at Laval’s interim city hall on Saint-Martin Blvd. “With over $26 million in support, our government is keeping its promise, in Laval as throughout Quebec, by giving municipalities the means to provide reliable and efficient water systems.
“More than 13 kilometres of pipes will be replaced,” she added. “And this is exactly the kind of investment that prevents costly outages and improves the services that citizens depend on every day. It’s common sense, and I commend the city for its work on this project.”
“I am very pleased to see that the public will benefit from water systems that are less vulnerable to breaks and from better stormwater management during periods of heavy rainfall,” said Skeete. “This significant grant for our region is proof that we are here to support the City of Laval’s projects.”
“Modernizing our municipal infrastructure is a priority for my administration and will require sustained efforts over the coming years,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
Reducing breaks and backups
“I am pleased to have Quebec’s financial assistance to support our sewer and water main modernization projects,” the mayor added. “These investments allow us to reduce breaks and prevent backups in our territory, which has a direct impact on the quality of life of Laval residents.”
The financial assistance comes from the provincial government’s 2023-2033 Municipal Water Infrastructure Program (PRIMEAU), part of the Quebec Infrastructure Plan (PQI). The plan provides for investments of up to $7 billion in the municipal infrastructure sector for the period 2025-2035, under the auspices of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MAMH).
As the overseer of municipalities across Quebec, the provincial government provides support to towns and cities to improve the performance and management of their drinking water systems.
“Through the PRIMEAU 2023-2033 program, municipalities can benefit from increased funding when they commit to better understanding the condition of their infrastructure and planning its maintenance responsibly,” the municipal affairs ministry said in a statement.
Importance of infrastructure
“Infrastructures are the foundation of everything in the proper and figurative sense,” Guilbault added. “So, when we talk about infrastructures, it’s of utmost importance, whether it’s our buildings, our roads, schools, etc. But even more essential and importantly, our water infrastructure is a constantly recurring topic with our municipalities, a topic that keeps coming up again and again.”
According to Guilbault, a lot of water and sewer infrastructure across the province dates back to the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. As a result, most of these networks are reaching the end of their usefulness at around the same time. “This leads to major inconveniences for our citizens,” she said. “We are all working above all else for the quality of life of our citizens, regardless of the level of government we are in.”
