Taking a drive and enjoying a walk down Souris’s Main Street will now be safer thanks to an investment from the governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island.
The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Honourable Robert Ghiz, Premier of Prince Edward Island, joined together today with His Worship, David MacDonald, Mayor of Souris, to celebrate the completion of construction work on Main Street.
“Main Streets remain the heart of our communities across the country,” said Minister Shea. “Our government is pleased to have worked with the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Town of Souris to help revitalize Main Street, which will greatly enhance the area and contribute to its economic prosperity.”
“This project has not only improved the overall look of the town, but it has also improved road safety and has made a substantial improvement to the town’s sewer and water systems,” said Premier Ghiz. “Through our Rural Action Plan, we continue to identify areas in need of improved infrastructure all over rural Prince Edward Island.”
“This project has greatly improved Souris’s sewer and water infrastructure, which will help contribute to the health of citizens,” said Mayor David MacDonald. “But beyond that it has made the town more appealing from a tourism point of view by improving the streetscape.”
The revitalization of 2.1 kilometres of Souris’s Main Street was conducted in two phases and included repairs to both road and underground infrastructure. The water mains and sanitary sewers were replaced and the entire road cross-section was upgraded to include a new curb, gutter and sidewalk, as well as a new asphalt road surface, thus improving water quality, increasing safety for drivers and pedestrians, and reducing vehicle wear and greenhouse gases.
The Government of Canada contributed $669,875 to the first phase of the project, under the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund and Gas Tax Fund, for sewer line, water line and sidewalk replacement along Main Street. The Province of Prince Edward Island matched this contribution and provided an additional $3 million through Build PEI for further road construction and repairs. The City of Souris provided the balance of funding for this phase of construction, which totalled $4.3 million.
Federal contributions for the second phase of the project totalled over $1.9 million, including $1.6 million for road repairs from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, and $310,000 from the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund for further sewer line, waterline, and sidewalk replacement. The Province of Prince Edward Island matched these federal contributions through Build PEI, and the City of Souris contributed $310,000 for the water and sewer lines.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding for close to 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.
Canada and Prince Edward Island are working together to create jobs and boost the economy, while making significant investments that help communities improve their infrastructure. Both governments have agreed to work together to ensure that these funds are delivered quickly and efficiently to municipalities in Prince Edward Island. In Prince Edward Island, some 18 projects, totaling a federal investment of over $16 million, have been approved since the launch of the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.
For more information, please visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
To learn more about capital projects on Prince Edward Island visit www.buildpei.ca