The governments of Canada and Alberta, through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, are helping the Eastern Irrigation District with up to $100,000 in funding to complete a dam safety review.

This project is funded through the partnership’s Emergency Preparedness Program and will provide the district with information about how to improve safety and reduce the risk of dam failure.

The review will help improve the emergency preparedness capacity of industry and regional authorities. This information will help the district respond effectively to emergencies that have the potential to threaten irrigation infrastructure, negatively impact human or animal health, threaten crops or cause significant economic losses.

“Farmers in the Prairies always stand to benefit when governments come together to get behind some really important water infrastructure projects. This collaborative investment will help ensure that our farmers and ranchers in the Eastern Irrigation District continue to have access to the water they need to keep putting their good, high-quality food on the tables of Canadians.”

 

“Irrigation creates tremendous economic opportunities in southern Alberta. Funding through the partnership will allow the district to have an engineering inspection done to assess the condition of a major canal. This information will provide a better understanding of the risks of a canal failure and the potential impacts to downstream residents and businesses. Alberta’s government is making strategic investments to build and strengthen our economy.”

 

“Albertans rely on water to live, work and play. This dam review is important because it will ensure the best practices are in place now, and for years to come. Irrigation feeds our livestock, waters our crops and provides animal habitats and recreational areas.”

 

“The Eastern Irrigation District works hard to ensure its water distribution network supports not only irrigation, but also municipal, industrial, wildlife habitat and recreation. The funding for a dam safety review will ensure that the infrastructure remains safe and able to help the district continue to meet the needs of all of those who benefit from this tremendous natural resource.”

Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs now. By building schools, roads and other core infrastructure we are benefitting our communities. By diversifying our economy and attracting investment with Canada’s most competitive tax environment, we are putting Alberta on a path for a generation of growth. Alberta came together to save lives by flattening the curve and now we must do the same to save livelihoods, grow and thrive.

Source: alberta.ca

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The Ontario government is expanding the Risk Management Program a year earlier than planned by $50 million for a total of $150 million annually. This funding supports farmers with unforeseen challenges such as fluctuating market prices, extreme weather events like flooding or drought, and disease.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, and Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Premier Ford said:

“Our government stands shoulder to shoulder with our farmers during these unprecedented times. As we chart a path to recovery, we will be there for our farmers and their workers to help them continue to put food on our tables. We committed to expanding this program in Year 3 of our mandate, but we are delivering on that commitment a year earlier than promised to provide more stability, income security and peace of mind for farmers, which is long overdue. I’m proud to say promise made, promise kept.”

Approximately 80 percent of eligible commercial production in the cattle, hog, sheep, veal, grains, and oilseeds, and edible horticulture sectors in Ontario is covered by the provincial Risk Management Program.

Minister Hardeman said:

“We know farmers face tremendous pressures and uncertainties including reduced processing capacity, increased costs, and volatile markets. After listening to feedback from the farming sector, that is why we are accelerating our promise to increase the Risk Management Program to $150 million by one year. We’re committed to providing our farmers with added support at this time and advocating on their behalf with the federal government to help them continue doing their critical work of producing safe, nutritious food for our kitchen tables.”

The increased investment in the Risk Management Program is in addition to a $15 million Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program. Farmers and other operations have access to cost-share funding to help enhance health and safety measures for employees, such as purchasing personal protective equipment, medical testing equipment, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, and temporary or permanent modifications to enhance physical distancing. Support is also available for farmers who experience unexpected costs for housing and transportation as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak on their farm.

Source: Government of Ontario

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Premier Scott Moe announced the first steps of a generational project that will fulfill the vision of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker to ensure the prosperity of Saskatchewan people and irrigate up to 500,000 acres of land from Lake Diefenbaker, more than doubling the irrigable land in Saskatchewan.  The project is beginning with an immediate $22.5 million investment in preliminary engineering and initial construction.  Project construction is expected to occur approximately over the next 10 years in three main phases at a cost estimated at $4 billion.

Moe said:

“The announcement of this generational project will see the vision of Lake Diefenbaker completed over the course of the next decade. By doubling the amount of irrigable land in our province, this project will be a massive step in completing the goals our government has set out in our 2030 Growth Plan.”

Phase 1 of the project is estimated to cost $500 million and will include the rehabilitation and expansion of the existing Westside irrigation canal system.  This work will increase the amount of irrigable land by 80,000 acres in the area.  It is considered one of the most shovel ready irrigation projects in the province with 90 per cent of the current canal already in place.

Phases 2 and 3 of the project are estimated to cost up to $3.5 billion.

Phase 2 will see the further expansion and buildout of the Westside Irrigation Project, adding an additional 260,000 acres of irrigable land.  Once fully built and developed, the project will eventually see land made available for irrigation near Macrorie, Milden, Zealandia, and as far north as Delisle and Asquith.

Phase 3 will see the buildout of the Qu’Appelle South Irrigation Project, adding an estimated 120,000 acres of irrigable land.  Starting at Lake Diefenbaker and going south, the project would run near the communities of Tugaske, Eyebrow, down to Marquis and into Buffalo Pound Lake.  It would provide the Moose Jaw-Regina corridor and southern Saskatchewan with a secure source of water for the next century and act as a catalyst for significant industrial expansion in the years to come.

This year, $22.5 million is being invested as part of Phase 1 to immediately begin preliminary engineering and initial construction of the Westside Irrigation Project.  Preliminary soil quality analysis of the Qu’Appelle South Irrigation Project area will also begin this year.

Minister Responsible for the Water Security Agency Greg Ottenbreit said:

“Saskatchewan has one of the most unique opportunities across the country. We are well positioned to further develop while providing a secure water supply for generations to come.   I am very confident Legislative Secretary Lyle Stewart will move this project forward to ensure certainty for our economy and a secure water supply for decades to come.”

These irrigation projects are building blocks for regional economic development in Saskatchewan.  Initial estimates show the investment will result in a $40 to $80 billion increase in the provincial Gross Domestic Product over the next 50 years.  The project is estimated to create 2,500 construction jobs a year, over the next ten years.

Agriculture Minister David Marit said.

“I look forward to working with producers, industry and government partners to expand irrigation capacity in Saskatchewan. From diversifying crop production and attracting more value-added processing, to benefitting local economies and adding to our long-term food security, increased irrigation opportunities support a profitable and sustainable economy.”

“Irrigation is an important part of the Saskatchewan agriculture industry and the economy,” Legislative Secretary to the Minister Responsible for Water Security Agency Lyle Stewart said.  “It supports the growth of diverse, high-value crops, which increases on-farm profitability, value-added processing opportunities, business attraction and employment.”

“Lake Diefenbaker is a major resource for this province, and it is very encouraging to see the government taking this next step,” Saskatchewan Irrigation Projects Association Chair Aaron Gray said.  “Projects like this put Saskatchewan producers in a very strong position to create a sustainable and secure food supply for Canada.”

Discussions with the federal government are being coordinated by SaskBuilds, in partnership with the Water Security Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, to leverage all possible federal infrastructure funding opportunities, including through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.  Saskatchewan is seeking federal funding now to support planning work and will be seeking significant longer-term funding to support this multi-year, multi-phase construction project.

The province expects to complete further consultations and discussions with stakeholders and First Nations as the project progresses.

Source: Saskatchewan.ca

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