Lakeshore Moves Forward with Funding for Sewage Treatment and Wastewater Work

At the meeting on May 12, 2026, Lakeshore Council committed funding for a sewage treatment plant as well as expansions to local sewer systems.

Council approved over $69 million in funding, starting in 2027, to replace the Stoney Point Sewage Lagoons which serve Lakeshore’s eastern communities, including Comber and Stoney Point/Pointe-aux-Roches. Council also committed over $7 million for the Belle River Sanitary Sewer Expansion (Conveyance Group 3), starting in 2030.

Both projects were identified as priorities in Lakeshore’s Water and Wastewater Master Plan, adopted by Council in 2024.

The funding commitment caps off a record-breaking streak of investments in water and wastewater infrastructure throughout Lakeshore. The funding commitment is critical to addressing growth pressures, environmental compliance requirements, and long-term servicing needs within the municipality.

“The commitment is huge for Lakeshore and its residents. Council has continued to make the bold decisions that are needed to dig us out of decades of underfunding infrastructure, while also positioning us well for the future.”
-Mayor Tracey Bailey

“There is certainly a lot of work to be done, but the funding commitment ensures we have the stability to move forward with these critical projects,” said Interim Chief Administrative Officer Justin Rousseau. “These investments, and the success we have seen over the past two years, reflects the incredible amount of work that has happened behind the scenes, by both staff and Council, to get us to where we are today.”

“Our success in accessing grants from both federal and provincial governments has paved the way to meet the infrastructure needs of communities throughout the municipality,” Mayor Bailey said. “The commitment also positions us well for future grant applications as upper levels of government look to municipalities who are ready and willing to invest. We have put our money where our mouth is, and we are ready to talk with potential partners.”

Mayor Bailey also noted that Lakeshore’s grant success, nearly $80 million in funding since 2025, has paid off with updates to water and wastewater rates. In 2022, water and wastewater rates were forecasted to rise 4 and 9 per cent every year until 2028. With grant funding, those rates will instead see annual increases of 2.5 per cent until 2028, and 2 per cent after that.

Council also approved the development of a debt financing strategy and additional staffing to support the delivery of the projects.