Politicians say project will help environment, aid future economic development

C2

By James Foster
Times & Transcript Staff

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

SCOUDOUC - Eighty homes will be hooked up to an expanded sewage system here thanks to federal gas-tax transfers.

Enlarge Photo

Jim Foster/Times & Transcript

Norbert LeBlanc (left), secretary of the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission; Rob Moore, MP for Fundy-Royal; Victor Boudreau, provincial Minister of Finance; and Bernard LeBlanc, MLA for Memramcook-Lakeville-Dieppe, dig in for a ceremonial first shovel of dirt, officially launching a project to improve and expand the sewage system in Scoudouc. Eighty homes will be hooked up to the new system, which runs along Highway 132.

The project is already underway but was officially kicked off this week by Fundy-Royal MP Rob Moore and provincial Minister of Finance Victor Boudreau who toured the construction site, along Highway 132, just south of Shediac.

"With funding through the gas tax, residents of Scoudouc will have access to higher quality public infrastructure that will contribute to their well being and improve the health of the environment," Moore told members of the local service district, officials from the Town of Shediac, the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission and others on hand for the project's kick-off.

The Gas Tax Fund will pump $116 million in federal gas tax dollars back into New Brunswick between 2005 and 2010, to which the provincial government added another $30 million. The fund contributed $3.5 million to this project and the sewerage commission chipped in more than $800,000, for a total of almost $4.4 million.

"It is important for our government to continue working with the federal government and regional partners like the Greater Shediac Sewerage Commission to provide communities with adequate infrastructure throughout the province, including residents of Scoudouc," Boudreau added.

The new system includes extending the sanitary sewer line along Route 132 to the subdivision near Highway 15, including Harbour View, Crustation and Seaview streets. The extension allows the connection of about 80 households that are currently on private septic treatment systems. The upgrade also adds capacity to the existing treatment lagoon system, with an additional aerated lagoon cell, a new road, fencing and other amenities.

The Scoudouc sewer line and lagoon project is part of a five-year capital investment plan developed for unincorporated areas by the Department of Local Government under the Gas Tax Revenue agreement.

The work in progress extends about four kilometres or 2.5 miles from the centre of Scoudouc northward towards the intersection of Highway 15 (Veterans' Highway) with Highway 132. Most of the work is on the west side of Highway 132, popularly known as Scoudouc Road.

Moore praised the Gas Tax Fund because it lets communities plan major projects well ahead of time, knowing there is a possible source of funding help for key infrastructure works. Boudreau backed that up, noting that there are some projects waiting in the wings for Scoudouc that could not proceed without expanded and modernized sewage treatment.