Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 7

7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7 CANADA AND FCM ANNOUNCE NEW INVESTMENTS IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMUNITIES I n communities across the country, Canadians are experiencing the impacts of climate change. By investing in initiatives that lower emissions and increase the resiliency of communities, we are creating good, middle-class jobs and building Canada’s low-emissions energy future. Parliamentary Secretary Marc G. Serré, on behalf of the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, and Joanne Vanderheyden, President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), recently announced a $1.2 million investment through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in communities of all sizes in Southwestern Ontario. The Municipality of Brockton is upgrading its aging wastewater treatment facility. For this project, the municipality will receive a $598,000 investment to replace the existing chlorination system with a chemical-free, ultraviolet-light disinfection system, reducing residual chlorine and lower operating and maintenance costs. The City of Guelph will receive $174,550 to study the feasibility of building a net-zero-energy library as part of the innovative zero-carbon Baker District, as well as an additional $175,000 for a study that will support its work with Wellington County on reducing food waste. Bruce County will receive $148,750 to complete a study on the technical and financial requirements associated with using the surplus electricity it generates to produce and store hydrogen in the region. The study will explore the possibilities of this emerging sector for not only the region’s economy but also eventually the province’s and the country’s. The Township of Georgian Bluffs will receive $71,800 to assess opportunities to retrofit and upgrade an anaerobic digester at the Derby Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project aims to increase onsite renewable energy generation, divert waste from landfill and produce soil fertilizer. This will both improve the overall performance of the facility and decrease its operating costs. In addition, the Township of Warwick will receive OPENING L INES