Canada and FCM Announce New Green Investments in Northern Ontario Communities
In communities across the country, Canadians are experiencing the impacts of climate change. By investing in initiatives that lower emissions and increase the resiliency of communities, we are creating jobs and building Canada’s low-emission energy future.
The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, and Joanne Vanderheyden, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), today announced a $1.4-million investment through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in communities in Northern Ontario.
The Town of Espanola will receive $1,276,500 for its biosolids management and digester optimization project. This initiative will improve treated effluent and operational reliability and provide a model for managing existing biosolids for small communities across Canada. The benefits of this project include reduced GHGs equivalent to 591 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 20 years, lowered energy consumption of 40 percent and $100,000 annual savings in biosolid hauling and treatment costs.
The City of Timmins will receive $86,500 to investigate opportunities to transform its wastewater pollution control plant into a net-zero resource recovery facility by exploring source-separated organic availability and the most beneficial uses of increased biogas production.
The City of Kenora will receive $40,000 to advance climate action with a Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Plan (SNAP) to reduce emissions, cut energy waste and move toward more sustainable sources of energy as part of its efforts to manage the effects of a changing climate.
The Town of Bracebridge will receive $36,000 to study the feasibility of building a net-zero recreational and cultural centre that will include an ice rink.
These varied initiatives highlight some of the ways that GMF continues to support transformative environmental initiatives at the community level and build on its 20-year record of environmental and economic impacts. The Government of Canada has invested $1.65 billion in GMF since its inception, enabling municipalities to support projects like these that leverage local resources to drive innovative solutions.