North Grenville, ON – Last week, the Government of Ontario announced up to $21.8 million in funding to support the expansion of North Grenville’s Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), a critical investment to meet the needs of North Grenville’s rapidly growing community. The expansion of the plant will ensure that the Municipality can continue to provide essential services for its residents and businesses - as well as to welcome new commercial, residential, industrial, and institutional developments. This includes but is not limited to new schools, a potential hotel, and a prospective provincial correctional facility.
Since the unexpected announcement in 2020 of plans by the Government of Ontario to build the Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex (EOCC) in Kemptville, Mayor Nancy Peckford has emphasized a strong commitment to holding the province to account.
“From the outset, Council has insisted that the Government of Ontario pay its fair share for any and all capacity it requires from the expanded plant, among other impacts” Peckford said. “It is imperative that the province mitigate any and all financial burdens of a forthcoming correctional facility. Our job as a Municipality is to ensure that we grow sustainably and can invest in the quality of life that residents and businesses expect, including recreational amenities, safer roads, a fully equipped emergency services team, and community initiatives.”
In 2016, North Grenville began the process of exploring a major expansion of its 30-year-old sewage treatment plant. In 2019, Council authorized the preliminary engineering and design work for the expansion, recognizing the time intensive studies and other requirements from the Ministry of Environment needed to proceed. In 2020, Council adopted a Capacity Allocation Bylaw which placed significant restrictions on access to remaining capacity at the existing plant until such time that there was an expansion.
Mayor Peckford has emphasized that “the plant’s expansion is necessary to maintain essential services, safeguard environmental sustainability, and support future development. The existing plant has served the community well but is nearing its operational limits.”
After the announcement of the potential correctional facility in 2020, Mayor and Council lobbied intensively for a commitment from the province to cover their fair share for the capacity they have requested for the new plant. In April 2022, the Government of Ontario made a written commitment to pay for its respective share of the expansion.
“The expansion of North Grenville’s Water Pollution Control Plant Expansion has been in the works for many years, with the Award of Tender in April 2024 at a value of just over $66 million (TBC),” noted Mayor Peckford. “As one of Eastern Ontario’s most vibrant communities, this expansion will not only protect our environment but also ensure we continue to provide the infrastructure needed for our residents and businesses to thrive.”
For North Grenville residents, the benefits of this project will extend well beyond the immediate improvements to wastewater management. It will pave the way for new opportunities, better amenities, and a sustainable future for the municipality. North Grenville’s growth creates the conditions for economic development, job creation, enables strategic investments in quality of life for residents, including recreational amenities, and will strengthen our community in the long term.
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Media Contact:
Kyna Boyce, Director of Communications
Municipality of North Grenville
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