Green Infrastructure Fund

Communities along the Highway 37 corridor of northwestern British Columbia had to rely on diesel power — an expensive, greenhouse-gas-generating, and sometimes unreliable source of electricity. With the construction of a 335-kilometre transmission line, these communities will gain access to a more dependable and cleaner energy source.

The total project cost is expected to be $404 million. The Government of Canada will contribute up to $130 million with the Government of British Columbia funding the remainder.

About the Project in British Columbia

The 287-kilovolt transmission line will extend from an existing substation near Terrace, run north to Cranberry Junction, follow the Highway 37 corridor to Bob Quinn Lake and end at Dease Lake.

The project has the potential to yield significant environmental benefits, including: the development of green energy generation projects in the region; the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions through mining development; the potential to connect remote, off-grid communities in the future; and the first step to connecting the Alaska and BC transmission grids.

BC Hydro will also connect the First Nation communities ok Iskut and Eddontenajon, which currently rely on diesel power generation for their energy needs, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions by 2,080 tonnes per year.

Benefits for Canadians from the British Columbia project

In addition to providing reliable, clean power to the area, the project is the first step in connecting the Alaska and British Columbia transmission grids.

Construction of the power line will also provide employment skills and improve living conditions in First Nation communities. These skills can then be transferred to employment in the proposed resource developments in the area.

The project help achieve the province's commitments under its Clean Energy Vision. These include:

• becoming self-sufficient in electricity production by 2016;
• producing zero net greenhouse gases from all new electricity projects;
• encouraging small electricity generation projects; and
• ensuring that 90 per cent of the province's total electricity generation continues to be clean or renewable.

Additional Information for the British Columbia project

• News Release: PM announces Canada's investment in Northwest Transmission Line
• Backgrounder: Northwest transmission line in British Columbia

In Winnipeg, Manitoba, combined sewers that handle both raw sewage and storm water run-off still serve many parts of the city. Significant precipitation events and spring thaws can overwhelm these combined sewers and treatment facilities. In Winnipeg's case, this may result in raw sewage ending up in the Red River and Lake Winnipeg.

To improve the handling of wastewater during peak periods, Winnipeg is planning to upgrade its South End Water Pollution Control Centre. Project costs are estimated at $33 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $11 million. The Province of Manitoba will match this funding, and the City of Winnipeg will provide the balance.

About the Project in Winnipeg

According to the City of Winnipeg, its 1,280 kilometre of combined sewers can handle up to 2.75 times the normal dry-weather flow when pushed to the limit. But during some wet weather events, even this capacity isn't enough as wet weather flows overwhelm the system. About 18 overflows occur between May 1 and September 30.

The city's goal is to reduce the number of times raw sewage overflows into the receiving waterbodies. To do so, they will expand the system capacity so that more of the wastewater is treated.  The project will also improve the level at which wet weather flows are treated and disinfected.

The City of Winnipeg operates three wastewater treatment plants. The project will also involve storage improvements to the Winnipeg South End Water Pollution Control Centre to increase the plant's wastewater holding capacity during peak flow periods.

Benefits for Canadians from the Winnipeg project

Protecting public health and the well-being of the Red River and Lake Winnipeg are priorities. This project supports Winnipeg's long-term strategy to upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities and minimize the city's impact on the environment while supporting growth.

Federal funding for  this project will also help the City of Winnipeg ensure its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Winnipeg project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada-Manitoba support Winnipeg wastewater treatment facility
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Canada supports wastewater treatment in Winnipeg

The City of Cornwall is upgrading its wastewater treatment plant, a move which will result in an important improvement in the wastewater discharged into the Saint Lawrence River.

Total cost of the project is expected to be $55.5 million. The Government of Canada will contribute up to $18.5 million, while the Province of Ontario and the City of Cornwall will fund the remaining $37 million.

About the Project in Cornwall

The upgraded treatment facility will provide additional capacity to treat wastewater before discharge into the Saint Lawrence River.

Upgrading the primary sewage treatment plant to secondary treatment will contribute to delisting the Saint Lawrence River as an Area of Concern under the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The upgrade will also result in Cornwall meeting the Ontario Ministry of Environment's minimum objective for a wastewater treatment plant.

Benefits for Canadians from the Cornwall project

The overall objective of the project is to reduce the negative impacts of wastewater effluent on human health and the environment. Cornwall was one of a handful of cities left in Ontario still using only primary treatment of wastewater. The upgrade of the wastewater treatment facility in Cornwall is a key activity in Canada's commitment to restore the Saint Lawrence River Area of Concern. This project is therefore expected to have a positive impact on the aquatic environment of the Great Lakes as the amount of contaminants, nutrients and solids discharged into the Saint Lawrence River will be substantially reduced due to the improved level of treatment of wastewater effluent.

Federal funding support for this project will assist the City of Cornwall in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Cornwall project

• News Release: Cornwall Breaks Ground on Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrades

The Regional Municipality of Halton is taking steps to improve its wastewater treatment system, resulting in improved water quality in the Hamilton Harbour. In addition, as the region's population is expected to keep growing, the capacity of the wastewater system is likely to be surpassed by 2012, the Regional Municipality of Halton is undertaking an expansion of its Skyway Wastewater Treatment Plant to meet the future needs of the Region. This increased capacity will also improve the facility's capacity to deal with wet weather events.

The upgrade of the plant, which discharges into Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario, is expected to cost $158 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $51.5 million. The Province of Ontario will match this funding, and the Regional Municipality of Halton will cover the remainder.

About the Project in Halton

The Hamilton Harbour has been identified by Canada and the United States as one of 43 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin. Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Canada committed to addressing environmental issues in Areas of Concern. The improvements to the Skyway Plant will take it to an advanced level in wastewater management. As such, this project, which addresses certain environmental issues within the Hamilton Harbour, helps Canada meet its commitments to restore this Area of Concern.

Benefits for Canadians from the Halton project

One of the main challenges of the Hamilton Harbour is the level of phosphorous which can have a negative effect on fish habitat. The upgraded Skyway Wastewater facility will allow it to maintain or improve its level of treatment with regards to phosphorous. This improvement will constitute an important step in meeting the wastewater treatment facility's obligations as an Area of Concern.

Federal funding support for this project will assist the Regional Municipality of Halton in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

In addition, the current expansion is expected to yield further savings in long-term expenditures while surpassing required standards and meeting projected capacity demands.

Additional Information for the Halton project

• News Release: Major Wastewater Improvements Underway in Burlington
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada and Ontario support wastewater treatment improvements for York and Durham regions

The City of Hamilton is located in Southern Ontario, along the westernmost part of Lake Ontario. Hamilton is situated in a strategic location known as the "Golden Horseshoe", the densely populated and industrialized region located around the Greater Toronto Area.

The City of Hamilton is proposing to undertake a project aimed at upgrading the Woodward Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The governments of Canada and Ontario have committed one-third of the total estimated eligible cost, up to a maximum of $100 million each. The City of Hamilton would pay the balance of the costs.

About the Project in Hamilton

The main purpose of the project is to reduce the amount of contaminants discharged to Hamilton Harbour from combined sewer overflows and from the WWTP. The project would therefore contribute towards meeting the goal of delisting Hamilton Harbour as an Area of Concern (a severely degraded area) as defined in the Canada–United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

The proposed upgrades include the addition of technology that combines an activated sludge treatment process (meaning that bacteria are involved in consuming organic content) in combination with a membrane providing micro-filtration of wastewater. Such a membrane has extremely small pores, thereby allowing for the separation of water from solid contaminants.

A new chlorine contact tank will also help the city meet national standards. Further, the electrical power supply and standby capacity will be upgraded, providing increased reliability of the wastewater treatment process.

The improvements to the WWTP will also include mitigation measures for the creek that handles the flow discharged from the plant into Hamilton Harbour. The creek bed will be widened to increase flows and treatment efficiency, and the banks of the creek will be protected from erosion.

Benefits to the Community from the Hamilton project

This project will significantly improve the quality of effluent discharged into Hamilton Harbour. In addition, federal funding support for this project will assist the City of Hamilton in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets and exceeds the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Hamilton project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada and Ontario Partner With Hamilton for Cleaner Water
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Improving wastewater treatment infrastructure in Hamilton

In February 2009, the roof of the wastewater treatment plant in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, collapsed due to wind and snow load. Since then, the plant has been running on an emergency basis, with much of the operations outdoors.

Now, Kirkland Lake is getting a new wastewater treatment plant that will use the latest technology to meet the needs of the community for years to come and help clean up Murdock Creek, the watershed receiving the discharge from the treatment facility.

Total cost of the project is expected to be $35.5 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $16 million. The Province of Ontario will match this funding, and the Town of Kirkland Lake will cover the remainder.

About the Project in Kirkland Lake

After the roof of Kirkland Lake's current wastewater treatment collapsed in February 2009, a temporary structure was erected to house critical equipment. Treatment tanks have been winterized and are operating outdoors.

Through this project, the community's outdated wastewater facility will be replaced by a new wastewater treatment plant that will incorporate an advanced treatment process that will be energy-efficient and easier to maintain.

Benefits for Canadians from the Kirkland Lake project

The new plant will provide better effluent quality, which will help to preserve the environment around Murdock Creek and Blanche River in Northern Ontario. Improvements to wastewater treatment in Kirkland Lake will ultimately improve water quality in the much larger Great Lakes Basin and help Canada meet its international obligations for water quality in the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River. In addition, federal funding support for this project will assist the Town of Kirkland Lake in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Kirkland Lake project

• News Release: Kirkland Lake Breaks Ground on New Wastewater Treatment Plant
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada–Ontario Partnership Supports New Wastewater Treatment Facility in Kirkland Lake
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Improving wastewater treatment infrastructure in Kirkland Lake

Owen Sound, Ontario, located on Georgian Bay, is still using only a primary treatment facility for its wastewater. It also has sewers that combine storm water and sewage. Because of this, heavy rains and spring thaws sometimes push the city's treatment facility beyond its capacity, resulting in sewage overflows into Georgian Bay.

This will change thanks to a planned expansion and upgrade of the Owen Sound plant to a secondary treatment level.

Project costs are expected to total $45 million. The Government of Canada will contribute up to $15 million, while the City of Owen Sound and the Province of Ontario will fund the remaining $30 million.

About the Project in Owen Sound

The existing Owen Sound wastewater facility currently provides treatment at a primary level which includes the removal of solids and the chemical treatment and disinfection of the wastewater prior to treated effluent being discharged into Georgian Bay. The upgrade to a secondary level of treatment means additional filtration and disinfection of wastewater will take place before it is discharged into Owen Sound Bay.

The upgrades to the facility will also expand its volume capacity and thereby reduce the frequency of untreated wastewater releases during wet weather.

Benefits for Canadians from the Owen Sound project

As a result of the upgrade, there will be a noticeable improvement in the quality of water in Georgian Bay and in the availability of the Bay for recreational purposes.

Federal funding support for this project will also help the City of Owen Sound ensure its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Owen Sound project

• News Release: A Cleaner Bay in Sight as Work Begins on the Owen Sound Wastewater Treatment Plant
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada and Ontario support wastewater treatment improvements for York and Durham regions

The Great Lakes provide drinking water for about 40 million people, making water quality a primary concern. Major efforts have therefore been under way in recent years to better protect them.

As part of a push to improve both water quality and public health, the small community of Red Rock, Ontario, located on the north shore of Lake Superior, not far from Thunder Bay, is working on a project to improve its wastewater treatment plant.

The total cost of the project is expected to be $9 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $4.5 million. The Province of Ontario will fund the remaining $4.5 million.

About the Project in Red Rock

Red Rock plans to improve its wastewater treatment system by adding a secondary level of treatment, whereby dissolved and suspended biological materials are removed from the wastewater before it is discharged. This additional treatment will ensure cleaner wastewater effluent goes into Nipigon Bay.

Benefits for Canadians from the Red Rock project

The Red Rock wastewater facility discharges into Nipigon Bay, which has been identified by Canada and the United States as an Area of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin. Improvements to Red Rock's wastewater treatment system will help delist Nipigon Bay as an Area of Concern and help Canada meet commitments under international agreements governing the Great Lakes.

Federal funding for this project will also help the community of Red Rock ensure its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the Red Rock project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada and Ontario support wastewater treatment improvements for York and Durham regions

The Village of Iroquois in Eastern Ontario is upgrading its treatment plant to meet revised federal and provincial standards for wastewater management.

The Township of South Dundas, the municipal governing body for Iroquois, will oversee the project, which will convert a primary treatment plant to a more advanced and environmentally sustainable wastewater management facility.

Total cost of the project is expected to be $18 million. The Government of Canada is contributing up to $9 million, while the Province of Ontario will fund the remaining $9 million.

About the Project in South Dundas

As a primary treatment facility, Iroquois's old wastewater system was limited to removing solids and discharging the remaining liquid, called wastewater effluent, into the St. Lawrence River.

The renovated facility will integrate a secondary treatment process using sequencing batch reactor (SBR) technology. This technology pumps oxygen through the wastewater to further reduce the impact of biological solids and liquids being discharged into the environment. An SBR process not only uses less energy than older systems, it processes wastewater more quickly and is ideally suited for environments where the flow into the system varies, for example, during sudden spring thaws and heavy seasonal rains.

Benefits for Canadians from the South Dundas project

As a result of the upgrade, there will be a noticeable improvement in the quality of water in the St. Lawrence River for the community of Iroquois and the surrounding area.

In addition federal funding support towards this project will assist the Township of South Dundas in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

Additional Information for the South Dundas project

• News Release: Iroquois Wastewater Treatment Plant Helps Clean St. Lawrence River
• News Release: Upgrades to Iroquois Wastewater Treatment Plant Now Underway

The project involving upgrades to the Mattagami Wastewater Treatment Plant has a total estimated eligible cost of $59.5 million, with the Government of Canada and Ontario providing one-third of the funding, up to a maximum of $19.83 million each. The balance of the costs would be paid by the City of Timmins.

About the Project in Timmins

The City of Timmins is located in north-eastern Ontario along the Mattagami River. The Mattagami Wastewater Treatment Plant currently treats about 34,000 m³ daily from the central and western areas of the City of Timmins. The facility is considered to be a primary treatment facility whereby solids and floating matter are removed from wastewater using screening, skimming and settling by gravity. Projected growth indicates the current treatment facility will continue to meet regional needs for years to come.

The project will result in a significant improvement to the level of treatment of municipal wastewater effluent provided by the Mattagami Wastewater Treatment Plant. As a result of the project, the level of treatment provided would be upgraded to secondary, meaning that biological processes are used to remove biodegradable organic matter, suspended solids and microorganisms.

Benefits for Canadians from the Timmins project

The upgrades to the Mattagami Wastewater Treatment Plant will mean that a smaller amount of contaminants will be discharged into the Mattagami River. The facility will also meet stricter rules coming into effect in 2014. Federal funding support for this project will assist the City of Timmins in ensuring its treated wastewater effluent meets the national standards established by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment and the federal Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations.

The upgrades will also improve the reliability and performance of the wastewater treatment system in the City of Timmins.

Additional Information for the Timmins project

• News Release: Work is progressing at Timmins' Wastewater Treatment Plant
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada and Ontario Partner With Hamilton for Cleaner Water

The plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Laval, Quebec, is taking shape. The city's new organic waste diversion project will take biodegradables from curbside collection and process the waste using anaerobic digestion technology to capture the methane gas and produce compost. Money will be saved from the diversion of waste from landfills, while revenue will be generated through the production of methane gas for fuel, and the sale of compost.

Total project costs are estimated at $107.5 million. The Government of Canada will contribute up to $30.6 million, the Government of Quebec $35 million, and the City of Laval will fund the remainder.

About the Project in Laval

The Laval project will use biodegradable waste collected from homes and possibly businesses to produce methane, which will then be cleaned and sold to the natural gas distribution grid or used to fuel about 100 municipal vehicles, trucks and some municipal buses.

The new facility will process an estimated 115,000 tonnes of organic waste annually.

Benefits to Canadians from the Laval project

In addition to the savings generated in reduced landfill requirements and the revenue generated by biogas and compost sales, Laval estimates that the project will significantly reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions in the region.

Additional Information for the Laval project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada-Quebec Investment in Four Green Infrastructure Projects in the Montréal Region
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Four projects for the treatment of organic waste in the Montréal region

In Longueuil, new biomethanation and composting facilities will treat biodegradable organic waste from the Agglomeration of Longueuil (the City of Longueuil and nearby municipalities of the Montréal South Shore) to reduce the amount of material in landfills, produce renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gases.

The project is expected to cost about $77 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $21.5 million. The Government of Quebec will provide about $23.2 million and the City of Longueuil will contribute $32.2 million.

About the Project in Longueuil

Once in full operation, Longueuil's facilities will be capable of processing up to 70,000 tonnes of municipal organic waste a year as well as capturing and cleaning the resulting methane.

Benefits to Canadians from the Longueuil project

The site is expected to process about 60 per cent of the region's organic waste. As a result, the municipalities involved estimate a greenhouse gas reduction of 36,094 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually.

Additional Information for the Longueuil project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada-Quebec Investment in Four Green Infrastructure Projects in the Montréal Region
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Four projects for the treatment of organic waste in the Montréal region

Montréal is implementing an organic waste project that will divert biodegradable material from landfills and produce biogas through an anaerobic digestion process.

The total project costs are estimated at $215.5 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $67 million. The Government of Quebec is providing $68.5 million, with the City of Montréal funding the remainder.

About the Project in Montréal

Montréal's new garbage processing centre will include a sorting centre to reclaim as much re-useable material as possible. Here, organic waste will be separated out and sent to one of the two anaerobic digesters being planned.

Methane, a by-product of the anaerobic digestion process will be captured and cleaned for subsequent use as a power source for the municipal wastewater treatment plant, to fuel vehicles or diverted into the natural gas grid.

The residue from the anaerobic digestion process will then make its way to one of two new composting centres for the final stage in the complete reuse of biodegradable materials.

Benefits for Canadians from the Montréal project

Montréal's waste treatment project will reduce the environmental impacts from landfill and from hauling garbage over long distances for disposal. As well, a cleaner fuel will be produced for various energy demands, and current landfill sites will be better able to manage the balance of city garbage.

Additional Information for the Montréal project

• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada-Quebec Investment in Four Green Infrastructure Projects in the Montréal Region
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Four projects for the treatment of organic waste in the Montréal region

A biomethanation centre that will accept and treat food waste as well as municipal sludge will be built in Quebec City.

The total cost of the project is expected to be $124.5 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $16.6 million, and the balance will be funded by the Quebec government and the City of Québec..

About the Project in Québec City

The new anaerobic digestion facility will treat up to 96,000 tonnes of wet sludge and 86,600 tonnes of food waste per year from residences and institutions, as well as industrial and commercial districts.

The new biomethanation centre will be able to generate about 7.6 million cubic metres of methane annually through the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. The purified biogas will be transformed into heat energy through a combustion process. This heat will be used to dry the digestate (material remaining after the anaerobic digestion process), heat the anaerobic digesters, and produce hot water for certain institutions near the biomethanation centre, including the wastewater treatment plant.

The liquid waste produced by the digesters will be dehydrated and dried for use as agricultural fertilizer.

Benefits for Canadians

The project will result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 9,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per year.

Additional Information for the Québec City project

• News Release: Canada-Quebec Partnership Supports a Green Infrastructure Project in Québec City
• News Release: ARCHIVED - A Canada-Quebec Investment for a Green Infrastructure Project in Québec City
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Construction of organic waste treatment system for Québec City

Methane gas, a natural by-product of biodegradable landfill waste, is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. However, when captured and properly treated, methane becomes a useful power source. Rivière-du-Loup is now getting its first biomethanation plant that will capture and clean the methane emitted from organic waste, for use in transport vehicles.

Project costs are expected to be $27 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $4.1 million. The Government of Quebec is contributing about $11.5 million, with the project proponent (a partnership between the Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality, the City of Rivière-du-Loup and Envirogaz) contributing $11.4 million.

About the Project in Rivière-du-Loup

The Rivière-du-Loup treatment facility will divert an estimated 25,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste from residences, factories, and commercial and institutional sources, such as cafeterias, grocery stores, restaurants, food processing plants, and sludge from slaughterhouses.

An anaerobic digestion process will break down this biodegradable waste. The resulting methane gas will be captured and cleaned for use in municipal trucks. The plant should be able to produce 1.4 million m³ of gas, which they estimate could displace 1.4 million litres of fuel (diesel or heating oil).

Benefits for Canadians from the Rivière-du-Loup project

The new plant will handle about 60 per cent of the region's biodegradable waste. That will eliminate the equivalent of 8,800 tonnes of CO₂ from the region's greenhouse gas emissions annually. Additionally, the diversion and use of the methane generated by the plant in transport vehicles will replace the use of fossil-fuel-generated gas, resulting in additional greenhouse gas savings.

Additional Information for the Rivière-du-Loup project

• News Release: The Government of Canada Invests Over $4 Million for New Waste Management Infrastructure in the Bas-Saint-Laurent Region
• News Release: PM announces environmental project in Rivière-du-Loup under Green Infrastructure Fund
• Backgrounder: Construction of an organic waste treatment plant in Rivière-du-Loup

As part of a strategy in Quebec to eliminate biodegradables from landfill sites, five regional county municipalities in the greater Montréal area (South Shore) are working to construct biomethanation and composting facilities in both the east and west sectors.

The project is expected to cost over $106 million. The Government of Canada will contribute up to $27.7 million, the Government of Quebec, $33.5 million, and the regional county municipalities to the east and west of Montréal's South Shore will fund the remainder.

About the Project in the South Shore

The South Shore facilities will collect and process biodegradable refuse from curbside collection and septic tank sludge (east sector) through anaerobic digestion. The resulting methane gas will be collected and cleaned for energy use by the communities of Varennes and Beauharnois.

Benefits for Canadians from the South Shore project

The Quebec government estimates that this project will divert approximately 80,000 tonnes of organic waste annually from landfills. This will reduce pressures on municipal landfills and generate renewable energy through the biomethanation process.

Additional Information for the South Shore project

• News Release: Canada-Quebec Partnership Supports a Green Energy Project in the East Sector of the Montréal South Shore
• News Release: Canada-Quebec Partnership Supports a Green Energy Project in the West Sector of the Montréal South Shore
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada-Quebec Investment in Four Green Infrastructure Projects in the Montréal Region
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Four projects for the treatment of organic waste in the Montréal region

After successfully implementing the first phase of its biomethanation plant in 2010, Saint-Hyacinthe hopes to soon increase its waste processing capacity.

Since the plant opened, its digesters have been turning municipal sludge produced by the city's wastewater treatment plant into biogas. The methane produced powers the plant, while the leftover residue, or digestate, is used to fertilize the farmland in the area.

With the help of more than $25 million, including a federal government contribution of up to $11.3 million under the Green Infrastructure Fund, the Saint-Hyacinthe plant will soon be able to acquire the infrastructure required to process organic matter, such as kitchen waste and green waste.

About the Project in Saint-Hyacinthe

In addition to a composting center with a maturation platform, the project involves the installation of hydrolyzers, additional digesters, pasteurization units, a receiving station for municipal kitchen and green waste, another receiving station for food substrates, a biogas purification unit, as well as related works.

With the addition of this equipment, the City will be able to process an additional 34,700 tonnes of waste and increase its production of biogas. The implementation of this second phase also marks the beginning of a partnership between the City of Saint-Hyacinthe and Gaz Métro, which has agreed to purchase the biogas produced by the City. The amount of biogas produced at the plant could eventually amount to more than 10 million cubic metres per year.

This project will not only benefit Saint-Hyacinthe, but also the communities in the Acton and the Maskoutains regional county municipalities.

Benefits for Canadians from the Saint-Hyacinthe project

Biomethanation reduces the volume of waste going to landfills while producing renewable green energy. The plant will be able to process more waste, including expired food from supermarkets and restaurants and agri-food industry waste. The biomethane produced will be purified for use as a combustible fossil fuel substitute to help Saint-Hyacinthe meet its energy needs, such as fuelling municipal vehicles or heating public buildings.

The addition of this new infrastructure at the Saint-Hyacinthe biomethanation plant will help create jobs, protect the environment and offer more economic opportunities.

Additional Information for the Saint-Hyacinthe project

• News Release: Canada-Quebec Investment of Over $25M in a Project Involving the Treatment of Organic Waste through Biomethanization in Saint-Hyacinthe

The original power plant on the Mayo River in Yukon produced approximately five megawatts of electricity. Any excess energy was transmitted from Mayo to Dawson City to reduce the use of diesel-generated electricity. This was eliminating about 16,800 tonnes per year in CO₂ emissions and resulted in significant savings in diesel fuel in Dawson City.

To further cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the territorial communities' dependency on diesel, a second powerhouse was constructed at the site of the Mayo power dam. Transmission lines were also built to connect Yukon's two existing electrical grids.

The Government of Canada provided close to $71 million of the $161.9 million total project costs through the Green Infrastructure Fund, with the remainder of funds coming from Yukon Energy Corporation and the Yukon Development Corporation.

About the Project in the Yukon

The Yukon Green Energy Legacy Project increased the hydro generation capacity of the Yukon Energy Mayo hydroelectric facilities from five megawatts to approximately 15 megawatts. The location of the new powerhouse doubles the elevation drop from Wareham Lake, which greatly increases the amount of energy that can be produced from the water flowing through its turbines without requiring any new dams, reservoirs or new flooding.

The second part of the project connected Yukon's two electrical grid systems—the Whitehorse-Aishihik-Faro and Mayo-Dawson grids—allowing Yukon Energy Corporation to use surplus energy throughout a broader geographical area.

Benefits for Canadians from the Yukon project

Without the project, an estimated $20 million of diesel would have been needed annually by 2012 to meet projected demand. Burning that amount of fuel would have released 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Now that the project is complete, it is expected to reduce the forecasted dependency on diesel fuel for power generation by 40 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by half.

Additional Information for the Yukon project

• News Release: Governments Celebrate Completion of Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Line Project
• News Release: ARCHIVED - Canada Launches $1-billion Green Infrastructure Fund
• Backgrounder: ARCHIVED - Mayo B Hydro Facility and Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Line