Iqaluit, Hay River and Whitehorse are among benefactors of Canada’s ambitious plans to develop and refurbish community assets in the north.
Iqaluit, Nunavut. Image courtesy of By Aaron Einstein (Aaron Lloyd).
Canada’s most northern regions, including Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, all recently received funding commitments from the Government of Canada as part of its national infrastructure plan rollout.
The cities of Whitehorse, Hay River and Iqaluit, respectively, are each set to benefit from Canada’s aggressive infrastructure investments as part of its Build Communities Strong Fund, with most of the money going toward the much-needed rehabilitation of critical infrastructure that each region relies on.
Rehabilitation and improvements
In order to expand on its water infrastructure systems, Iqaluit will receive $108 million with a focus on improving the city’s utilidor system and funding necessary trucked water services. These improvements and funding will allow for the construction of an additional 2,500 new housing units as a means to fuel further growth of the Nunavut capital.
Hay River, Northwest Territories will receive $20 million that will support the development of a new water treatment plant, replacing the current plant which was built in the 1970s. Construction of the new facility is set to begin in 2027 with an opening set for some time in 2030.
Meanwhile, Whitehorse will receive a total of $8.7 million to help fund the construction of a five-kilometre paved bike path connecting Whistle Bend and the city’s downtown core. The project, which was approved last year with a cost of $12.5 million, is set to begin construction shortly.
A balancing act
Each of these investments align with the Canadian government’s ambition to prioritize rehabilitation projects that are in most need of improvements or replacement, while also balancing the launch of major projects across the country, with the combined approach set to define the future of Canadian infrastructure development.