How much money will Sask. get from federal government for infrastructure?

The federal budget is several weeks in the books and Saskatchewan’s allocation of that money is now beginning to be revealed.

Ottawa has indicated Saskatchewan will receive approximately $29 million under the Public Transportation Infrastructure fund to help improve and expand public transit systems.

The province’s allocation under the Clean Water and Waste Water fund will be roughly $90 million to improve and upgrade water and waste water infrastructure.

The provincial government has been told that the federal government intends these programs “to target the rehabilitation, modernization and optimization of public infrastructure”. That includes flexibility to fund new expansion projects and asset management, design and planning for future projects.

Changes have also been announced to the new Building Canada fund to streamline the business case process and lowering the traffic count restrictions on road projects. That money may help with the city of Regina’s hope for a new transit maintenance facility.

Saskatchewan currently has 20 municipal water and sewer projects awaiting federal approval under the small communities’ component and it is hoped positive word will soon be given on those projects.

Federal officials are making calls to their provincial counterparts this week to provide further details about the dollars being allocated.

The province is in the middle of formulating the 2016-17 budget and that information will help that decision-making process.