The governments of Canada, British Columbia and Sicamous will partner to build a new facility to treat drinking water for Sicamous and Mara Lake area residents.

The Sicamous Community Water Treatment Project will help protect the quality of the area's water supply that was put under pressure following two significant floods. It will provide an additional level of filtration to help maintain the overall safety and security of the community's drinking water. This initiative is part of a series of projects undertaken to protect the area from future floods and support the local economy.

Through the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund, the governments of Canada and British Columbia are jointly investing $3 million toward the initiative. The City of Sicamous will contribute an additional $1.5 million. The total cost for this initiative is $4.5 million.

Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering a new Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries.

Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 950,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. The new Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, supports Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.

Quotes:

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark -

"I promised our government would be there for the people of Sicamous after disaster struck and today we are delivering on that promise. All three levels of government have been working together to come up with the right approach. I am pleased to see this funding approved."

Colin Mayes, MP for Okanagan-Shuswap -

"I am pleased that our government has worked proactively with the Province of British Columbia to assist in providing a high-quality water supply to the residents of Sicamous."

District of Sicamous Mayor Darrell Trouton -

"I am so happy that the provincial and federal governments came through with their promise to help us build a new water treatment facility. When we were hit hard by the flooding last year, as a council we took our concerns to the provincial and federal government and asked them for help. We really appreciate when those levels of government recognize the struggles that small communities face, and work with us towards solutions."

Quick Facts:

• Since 2008, 80 British Columbia infrastructure projects have been funded under the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund.

• Of the more than $460 million invested by all parties, the government of B.C. contributed over $260 million to these projects.

Important Links:

Information about the funding programs, the Government of British Columbia - Communities Component: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/BCFCC/

For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure and to stay up-to-date with Infrastructure Canada Web feeds, visit Infrastructure Canada's website: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/index-eng.html

To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit the Economic Action Plan website: http://www.actionplan.gc.ca/

Media Contacts:

Mike Morton
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
250 356-1998

Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities,
Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
613 991-0700

Heidi Frank
Chief Administrative Officer
District of Sicamous
250 836-2477

Infrastructure Canada
613 960-9251
1 877 250-7154 (toll free)