(The following is a release from the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus)
Funds meant to support localizing communal servicing
The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), 2B Developments, the Frontenac Municipal Services Corporation (FMSC) and the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) announced today the awarding of Stage 1 funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Supply Challenge to EORN and 2B Developments. The funding totals $1 million to support water and wastewater management via the creation of municipal services corporations, supporting communal servicing in rural and small municipalities.
Communal servicing is a way for clusters of homes and businesses to share dedicated and local water and wastewater treatment facilities. Communal services approaches and technologies represent an alternative middle ground to the large-lot and well-and-septic approach traditional to rural areas, and to the hugely expensive centralized water and sewer systems approach used in cities.
Communal servicing has several advantages for rural and small municipalities including lower cost, time, and regulatory barriers for developers as well as new possibilities for economic growth through construction of mixed-use-development of residential, public, and commercial units for residents of small towns and hamlets. Communal servicing is a fair and sensible way to grow and build much-needed public tax base for rural municipalities, and regulated and professionally operated and overseen systems to help protect the natural environment in ways well and septic may not.
Today also marks the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the FMSC and EORN who will be working together with 2B Developments to understand FMSC’s experience in establishing a municipal services corporation, and to integrate lessons learned into a program to share with other municipalities.
Quotes
“I am very excited about the creation of Rural Impacts, a joint collaboration between EORN and 2B Developments, the partnership with FMSC and the funding that was received,” said Jennifer Murphy, chair of the EORN board of directors. “This will enable us to study municipal service corporations and how decentralized communal systems can be effectively managed within this framework to enable housing development in rural and small municipalities. We greatly appreciate the support of the EOWC and its members as the Stage 1 moves forward,” Murphy said.
“We’re very grateful to the CMHC for their confidence in the communal services initiative and for helping to fund these important next steps,” said Frances Smith, FMSC president and board chair, EORN vice-chair, and warden of the County of Frontenac. “Shared water and wastewater systems represent a safe, clean, and reliable alternative to complex and prohibitively expensive centralized systems. This is a bold and novel solution to a whole basket of issues facing residents of rural municipalities, like us,” Smith said.
“On behalf of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, this is an exciting step forward for our region to unlock water and wastewater infrastructure that will help build housing in small rural communities,” said Peter Emon chair of the EOWC and warden of Renfrew County. “We are pleased to continue to work in partnership with our municipal members, like Frontenac County, as well as the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, to advocate for and deliver projects that enhance our region’s growth and prosperity, such as this communal services initiative. Thanks to funding from the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation and to all involved,” Emon said.
About EORN
Eastern Ontario Regional Network strives to fuel economic development and growth by working regionally to improve and leverage broadband access and cell connectivity. EORN is a non-profit organization created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus. Since 2010, it has helped bring hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, provincial and private sector investment to improve connectivity across the rural region.
EORN is currently completing a $300 million Cell Gap Project which is funded in partnership with federal, provincial and municipal governments and Rogers Communications. The project is to be finished by 2026. While EORN’s historical focus has been on broadband and cellular services, its expertise transcends the telecommunications sector. EORN possesses the capability to amalgamate diverse expertise required to deliver solutions while aligning with the unique needs of municipalities and their residents.
