Several construction projects were completed in North Battleford, including work on 102nd Street, last summer. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Infrastructure support

City among northwest communities to receive federal funds for projects

Mar 21, 2023 | 2:26 PM

The City of North Battleford is among several communities in the northwest that will receive federal funding for improvements.

The federal government announced the city will receive $734,267 through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) to revitalize aging downtown streets. The project was completed last year for downtown improvements to 102nd Street.

The city said major infrastructure upgrades were done in 2022 and this initiative was part of the project.

The cost for the entire 102nd Street project came in at about $7 million and was originally funded from the city’s Underground Pipeline and Asphalt Replacement (UPAR) program.

This city said the $734,000 in federal funding will now go back into the city’s UPAR fund for future investments in infrastructure upgrades.

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“We’re grateful to get our investment back from the federal government so we can put it toward other important areas for improvement,” the city said in a statement.

Federal Minister of Rural Economic Development, Gudie Hutchings, announced the investments in business growth and community improvement projects across Saskatchewan in a recent release.

The federal government said with a national investment of $500 million over two years, the fund will assist not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and other community groups, as well as Indigenous communities build new community infrastructure and revitalize existing assets, and “bring people to public spaces, create jobs, and stimulate local economies.”

About 13 Saskatchewan CCRF recipients will receive funding through PrairiesCan, four of which are in the North West Region of the province.

The Town of Lashburn received $48,038 to build a multi-use paved sport pad in Heritage Park. This project is getting closer to being complete.

The total cost of the project was $64,000, with the town paying $16,000 and the remaining 75 per cent covered by the federal grant.

Lashburn Mayor Steven Turnbull said crews need to install pickleball nets and a picnic table and paint the lines on the pad this spring.

“It’s kind of a culmination of several years we’ve been working to add to the park around the heritage building there – the old school,” he told battlefordsNOW.

As well, Lloydminster Native Friendship Centre Inc. received $239,800 to revitalize and upgrade its building and outdoor area. The work entailed replacing four furnaces and replacing the existing flooring that was worn and cracked. Next, the windows, as well as the central air conditioning, will be replaced for this aged facility.

The Rural Municipality of Turtle River No. 469 was approved for $18,000 to rebuild the outdoor skating rink in Vawn, located off Main Street. Most of the work was done to open the Vawn Community Outdoor Rink at the end of January, with just a few touch-ups still to add.

“The boards are up, and we are just waiting to put on some chain-link fence at both ends,” Coun. Laurel Derenoski told battlefordsNOW.

“Right now, the way it is facing, some older kids were there and they shot the puck over the boards and hit the neighbouring house, and took out some of their siding. It’s a good thing we have good neighbours in this small town,” she added.

The town paid $10,000 for its part in the project. With the federal grant, it was also able to fund a small picnic area with metal benches beside the rink.

“It’s an excellent little project for the town,” Derenoski said. “It brings a lot of community spirit, especially after two years of COVID. People are happy to get out and visit, and do a few fun things together again.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow