The federal government has announced Saskatchewan will receive an additional $896 million for infrastructure over the next 11 years.

The announcement was made Thursday as Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Amarjeet Sohi opened negotiations with Saskatchewan and other provinces and territories on bilateral agreements to establish streamlined frameworks for funding delivery.

“Investing in infrastructure is vital to create growth for the middle class now while building a strong foundation for a sustainable economic future,” Sohi said in a news release.

“We have reached out to provinces and territories to establish the next steps and launch discussions so that we may work together to finalize these important agreements in the coming months.”

As part of the federal government’s long-term infrastructure plan, Saskatchewan will receive:

  • $416,334,673 for green infrastructure for greenhouse gas mitigation (including electricity transmission); adaptation, resilience and disaster mitigation; and investments in environmental quality.
  • $307,871,025 for public transit infrastructure.
  • $115,905,927 for rural and northern communities infrastructure.
  • $56,211,382 for community, culture and recreation infrastructure.

“The Government of Canada is working with Saskatchewan to get good things done for the province. Since we came into office, our collaboration on infrastructure has already resulted in almost half a billion dollars in federal funding for new infrastructure projects in Saskatchewan,” said Regina-Wascana MP and Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.

“Today’s announcement builds on that work, providing new funding for investments in infrastructure that will improve our quality of life and build a stronger foundation for future success—all while stimulating economic growth and good jobs in the most cost-effective manner. We still have a big job to do to bolster the middle-class and all those working so hard just to get there, but providing almost a billion in new infrastructure funding for Saskatchewan is another important step forward.”

The government says the agreements will provide flexibility for provinces and territories to identify their priorities for investments, while ensuring federal investments support national objectives.