August 06, 2004

Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives Minister Rosann Wowchuk today provided the final $1-million payment to Portage la Prairie to complete the $4 million in funding provided through the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) for the city’s new water treatment plant.

"This project has already made a valuable contribution to our efforts to diversify Manitoba’s farm economy," said Wowchuk.  "As the potato industry rebounds, we look forward to continued expansion of this sector." 

A total of $2 million of the funding was dedicated to pay part of the province’s share of infrastructure upgrades in support of Simplot’s new $120-million potato processing plant which opened last year. The additional $2 million was used for the water system upgrade that resulted in a new treated water storage reservoir. The reservoir was needed primarily to meet peak water demands in the city but was sized to ensure that the city’s increasing industrial needs would also be met.

"The added bonus is the long-term environmental benefits that the improvements to the water and sewage infrastructure will mean to the community of Portage la Prairie and its future growth potential," said Wowchuk.

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