It’s being lauded as the largest infrastructure funding announcement of its kind in Muskoka’s history and it took place this morning at the Mountview Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is being converted into a pumping station.
The Ontario government is investing $50,607,711.73 to add capacity to Huntsville’s wastewater infrastructure system and enable the construction of an additional 3,197 new homes. The funding is being delivered through the first round of investments under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which includes $970 million to help municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate, and expand drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. (See funding announcement below).
“Our government is committed to making life more affordable. A big part of that mission is enabling the construction of new homes. This historic investment into Muskoka will do exactly that,” said MPP Graydon Smith, Parry Sound-Muskoka. “Under our government our riding has and continues to receive truly unprecedented levels of provincial government investment. I’m thrilled that Muskoka is receiving over $50 million to make home ownership more attainable for our residents.”
Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma delivered the announcement in the Town of Huntsville today. The announcement was made at the site of the Mountview Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will be turned into a pumping station and direct all of Huntsville’s wastewater to the enhanced treatment facility at the Golden Pheasant plant on Hwy. 60.
Surma said that municipalities cannot approve development projects in many instances unless the infrastructure capacity exists to service them. Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said there are planning approvals pending for an additional 277 units on Earls Road, which requires not only treatment but also wastewater pumping capacity. She said that with the enhancement of infrastructure as a result of the funding announcement, the municipality could give the project the green light to move forward to create more housing in the community.
“This extraordinary investment is one of the largest ever by the Province in Muskoka. It helps us tackle one of the biggest barriers to housing construction – the high cost of servicing,” said District of Muskoka Chair Jeff Lehman. “This funding ultimately means less pressure on water bills, and lower housing costs supporting areas of the District with the greatest need.”
The government is also allocating an additional $250 million and accepting a second round of applications through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, bringing the province’s total investment in the fund to $1.2 billion.
“By investing in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities build more homes,” said Surma, “Homes can’t be built without connections to drinking water and wastewater.”
In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund. In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes, and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural, and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.
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There is no affordable housing in town due to the exorbitant cost of the District’s water and sewer.
$200/month or $2,400/year is typical. And rising.
After $45K!! to hook up.
Highest costs in Ontario.
$100/month even if you are away and have zero usage.
Including the costs shown/hidden on our property taxes.
For affordable housing you have to build beyond the District’s pipes on your own, much cheaper systems on an unserviced lot.
Costs are so high here it’s possible to save $1,000/year with extreme water conservation.
Search “Oppose Bracebridge Sewers” for the website describing many inexpensive techniques.
Many people are not aware that the District hides around $1,000 of the water and sewer cost on our property taxes.
The cost depends on our assessment.
No other municipality puts costs like that on property taxes so it looks like we are paying reasonable rates for water and sewer on the bills.
We are not.
Check your property tax bill and add up the costs under District Water A and District Sewer A.
Those charges only show up if the District happens to have their pipes in the road.
Whether you are hooked up or not!
Gravenhurst residents were charged, for 11 years!, even though the District didn’t have pipes in the road. Details are on the website.
$50 million of Provincial taxpayer money to service 3197 homes. More of our tax money to subsidize land speculators. Where is the other $300-600 million plus plus $$$ coming from to build the required infrastructure including the hospitals? Of course from you and me. All to fund high cost expensive homes while the developers run off with the loot.