Fort Chipewyan is home to a new water treatment facility.
Mayor Don Scott, councillors and RMWB administration join community leaders to celebrate the ribbon cutting and grand opening.
Also on hand for the celebration was Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao and Alberta’s Minister of Transportation, Ric McIver.
Provincial and municipal governments partnered on the project with the province contributing $20-millon of the total $37-million cost.
Mayor Don Scott said he’s proud to partner with the Alberta government.
“The new facility and upgrades will enhance water quality and service for the residents of Fort Chipewyan today and also provide additional capacity to meet the hamlet’s needs in the future.”
Necessary infrastructure
Work first began in April of 2016 with increasing the size of Fort Chipewyan’s fresh-water reservoir.
Upgrades to the pump houses and pipelines followed.
“Citizens deserve safe and reliable access to water,” Said MLA Tany Yao, “I am pleased to see this partnership between the Province and the Municipality that has also provided important water infrastructure to the residents of Fort Chipewyan.”
The project also included renovations to the existing water treatment plant and distribution pump house.
Although completed in 2018, the overall construction project on the plant finished earlier this year.
Transportation Minister Ric McIver said work on the plant cleared many hurdles.
He said the movement of materials required river barges in the summer and ice roads in the winter.
“Our government is committed to providing high-quality infrastructure to meet the needs of Albertans, and the Fort Chipewyan facility and upgrades will help one of our most remote northern communities maintain reliable access to clean drinking water today and in the future.”
McIver said he’s happy the people of Fort Chipewyan have the necessary infrastructure.
