The Town of Amherstburg received new funding from the Ontario government, investing $3.74 million to upgrade Amherstburg’s water infrastructure. The announcement was made Friday at a gathering of local dignitaries, provincial representatives, and area residents. Anthony Leardi, MPP of Essex, signed and presented a cheque to the mayor of the town of Amherstburg Michael Prue along with members of Amherstburg town council. Mayor Michael Prue said the project strengthens the community and downtown core. Leardi said the funding will help replace a century-old sanitary sewer on Richmond Street, protect homes from flooding, and ensure reliable water services. “It’s not something you think about every day,” said Leardi. “Really, you only think about water infrastructure if you flush your toilet and it doesn’t work, or if you turn on your tap and there’s no water. But this is something that is vital to the operation of municipalities.” Leardi went on to stress the significance of the monetary allotment. “To put this in perspective, the typical annual capital budget for the town of Amherstburg is approximately $13 million per year. This means that today’s provincial investment represents roughly 28 per cent, over a full quarter of the town’s annual capital budget.” The funding comes from the province’s municipal housing infrastructure program which supports safe drinking water, housing, and community protection during extreme weather.
