WIKWEMIKONG, ON, Sept. 16, 2026 /CNW/ -- Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory will receive a federal infrastructure investment of more than $38 million for watermain infrastructure through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.
The Build Communities Strong Fund is investing $51 billion in a wide range of infrastructure projects across the country that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation.
The project will provide the watermain infrastructure required to support approximately 430 existing and future homes and residential lots on Rabbit Island Road and the Ojibway Heights subdivision, and will enable future development. As a result, community members will no longer need to rely on trucked water delivery or household cistern systems. The watermain extension will also deliver broader community benefits through the construction of new roads, fire hydrants, power lines, and drainage infrastructure, improving connectivity and providing more community members with access to municipal water and wastewater services.
The Build Communities Strong Fund is a cornerstone of the Government of Canada's plan to deliver the infrastructure communities need to grow and thrive, today and for generations to come.
Quotes
"This investment will improve access to essential services, eliminate reliance on trucked water delivery and household cisterns on Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, and support new housing development. This investment in critical infrastructure will bring clean, piped water to the community, helping build a stronger, healthier future while addressing growing housing and infrastructure needs."
The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
"Our community is growing, and we need infrastructure that grows with us. This project means reliable water services for families, while also creating the infrastructure needed to build more homes and support future development. This is the kind of investment that makes a real difference in people's daily lives and helps us keep building Wiikwemkoong for the next generation. The investment opens up more of our community for housing and future development. By extending water services to Rabbit Island Road and Ojibway Heights, we can support hundreds of existing and future homes while putting the infrastructure in place for these areas to grow. This is the kind of long-term investment Wiikwemkoong needs to build for the next generation."
Ogimaa Tim Ominika, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory
Quick Facts
- The federal government is investing up to $38,074,968 in this project through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong.
- Starting in 2026-27, the Build Communities Strong Fund will deliver funding through three major streams:
- A Provincial and Territorial stream, which provides $17.2 billion over 10 years, including $5 billion in health infrastructure funding over three years;
- A Direct Delivery stream, which provides $6 billion over 10 years, including $1 billion over 4 years as part of a Local Impact Stream that is being delivered by Canada's Regional Development Agencies to support community infrastructure projects with local impact; and,
- A Community stream (formerly the Canada Community-Building Fund), which provides $27.8 billion over 10 years and, indexed at 2% to deliver $3 billion per year ongoing.
- The Buy Canadian Policy is an important part of the Build Communities Strong Fund. It will help ensure that more of every public dollar goes right into the Canadian economy – creating Canadian careers, using Canadian resources, and benefiting Canadian communities.
- The Build Communities Strong Fund will be a force multiplier in infrastructure – with funding that will be matched by nearly $17 billion from provinces, and additional billions leveraged through municipal and territorial partnerships as well as private capital. The fund will also boost Canada's GDP by $95 billion over the next decade.
- Under the Direct Delivery stream, at least 10% of the funding will go towards investments in Indigenous communities.
- Project funding is subject to the signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and the recipient.
Associated Links
- Build Communities Strong Fund
- Prime Minister Carney launches the Build Communities Strong Fund and announces the first tranche of projects
- Prime Minister Carney shares Budget 2025 plan to build communities strong
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Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Arianna Durgerian, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Shelley Trudeau, Chief Executive Officer, Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (WUT), 705-859-3122, extension 227, [email protected]
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