Fort Chipewyan receives $5M for water improvement

Fort Chipewyan, in northern Alberta, is to receive more than $5.1 million from the province to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in the community.

The funding is part of Alberta’s Covid-19 economic recovery plan, published in June. The money will be used to upgrade a lift station, which the province says will create 25 jobs locally.

Tany Yao, the MLA for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo, was quoted by the Alberta government as saying the announcement was “huge” for Fort Chipewyan residents.

“Not only does it create much-needed jobs in the community, but it addresses our water infrastructure needs,” he stated in a news release on Tuesday. “I’m thankful one of our most northern communities is being taken care of.”

According to the news release, Alberta has invested almost $150 million to support 55 water projects in the province. The government estimates the investment will create 1,300 jobs.

Statistics Canada data released in June showed Alberta had a 15.5-percent unemployment rate, the highest in Canada. The NWT’s unemployment rate stood at 9.6 percent for the same period.

Approached by Cabin Radio on Tuesday, councillors and community members in Fort Chipewyan declined to comment.