The Pembina Valley is set to benefit from a major rural infrastructure investment, as the governments of Canada and Manitoba announced $76.9 million for water and wastewater upgrades to help municipalities build more homes, support population growth and keep life affordable.
Premier Wab Kinew said the investment is tied directly to the growing need for housing in rural Manitoba. “The cost of living starts with the cost of housing, and that means we need the infrastructure that lets communities build more homes,” Kinew said. “These vital water and wastewater projects give rural municipalities the capacity so they can grow, attract new families and keep life affordable.”
Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard said communities helped identify the priority projects included in the funding package. “These important infrastructure upgrades will unleash housing and economic growth in large and small municipalities across the province,” he said. “This is the critical infrastructure needed for communities to grow and thrive well into the future. Once again, local municipalities told us what they needed to be successful, and we listened.”
For the Pembina Valley, the most significant project is the $22-million investment in the Pembina Valley Water Co-operative (PVWC) capital plan, including a major expansion of the Letellier Water Treatment Plant. PVWC CEO Dale Toews said the support strengthens long-term water security for one of Manitoba’s fastest-growing regions. “The plant expansion in Letellier is a game changer for us and the communities we serve,” Toews said. “To have the Manitoba government support us tells us it believes not just in the PVWC model as a regional water supplier but in the economic importance of the Pembina Valley region. This investment allows us to move ahead with confidence in our capital expansion as we continue to supply clean drinking water to our communities.”
Another significant local project is the $4.4 million allocated to connect a Morden sewer line to Winkler, increasing shared wastewater capacity between the two growing cities. Both municipalities have identified wastewater limits as a barrier to new housing approvals and industrial expansion.
The province-wide funding package also includes $22 million for the Red-Seine-Rat (RSR) East Water and Wastewater Treatment network, $22 million for the RSR West (Brandon) Water and Wastewater network and $6.5 million for the Boissevain lagoon. Jim Funk, reeve of Hanover and chair of the RSR Wastewater Co-operative, said the investment will help ensure their large-scale regional project stays on track despite rising costs. “With construction costs rising each year, this support is vital to keeping our project on track and ensuring shovels are in the ground in 2026,” Funk said.
Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett welcomed the upgrades in his region as well, adding that essential systems such as water supply and wastewater management must keep pace with growing communities. “Clean, safe drinking water and reliable wastewater systems are foundational to a prosperous city,” Fawcett said. “These upgrades aren’t just for today, they’re about making sure Brandon is ready to grow and thrive for decades to come.” According to the province, the rural CHIF allocation supports long-term priorities that directly enable more housing. By investing in drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste systems across rural Manitoba, the government says communities will be better positioned to approve new residential developments and meet the needs of a growing population.
