The Government of Canada is investing more than $6 million in 149 new projects across the country through the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government.
The program helps municipalities strengthen local infrastructure planning and decision-making by increasing local asset management capacity through investments in activities such as asset management training, technology and software enhancements and information sharing.
The recipients of the funding are the provinces of Ontario ($1.6 million for 39 projects), British Columbina ($693,626 for 15 projects), Manitoba ($288,240 for 7 projects), New Brunswick ($150,000 for 3 projects), Alberta ($985,500 for 21 projects), Nova Scotia ($100,000 for 2 projects), Saskatchewan ($1.1 million for 27 projects), Quebec ($150,000 for 3 projects) Newfoundland and Labrador ($1.3 million for 31 projects), and Yukon territory ($50,000 for 1 project).
“[These] projects announced today ensure municipalities have the tools and technology necessary to make well-informed decisions for the long term,” stated Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “We’re proud to invest in infrastructure asset management projects that will help communities grow their local economy and improve residents’ quality of life.”
“Smart investments in infrastructure help smaller communities to grow, strengthen their economies and improve quality of life for their residents,” added Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development. “Through projects like those announced today, our government is helping to ensure that local leaders, especially those in rural areas, have the tools they need to plan for the long-term and creating stronger rural communities now and for generations to come.”
According to its president Joanne Vanderheyden, through the Municipal Asset Management Program, FCM continues to help municipalities of all sizes, especially small and rural, manage municipal infrastructure and make stronger investment decisions based on reliable data. “FCM supports communities from coast to coast to coast by providing funding, training, and resources to develop sustainable solutions that work and improve the quality of life for residents,” she said.
Ontario
With funding from MAMP:
- The Township of Tehkummah will develop an asset management plan, implement software, and undergo training. This plan will advance asset data and involve staff across the organization in asset planning.
- The Township of Addington Highlands will improve asset management plan and provide training in asset management and the relevant software to staff.
- The City of Woodstock will inspect various building components such as roof, interior, electrical/mechanical and internal structure by engineering consultants and will provide current condition rating of these components for each building that is inspected. Consultants along with municipal staff will establish financial framework for the maintenance needs for a sustainable and acceptable level of service.
Details of all 39 projects are included in the backgrounder.
British Columbia
With funding from MAMP:
- The City of Salmon Arm will hire a consultant to lead the organization through drafting and implementing an asset management policy, strategy and five-year roadmap documents including applicable council, management and staff training and workshops.
- The Village of Kaslo’s Implementation Project will bring together various asset assessments and plans that have been completed over the past several years and fill information gaps to create a comprehensive asset registry. It will expand information on critical asset classes, such as sections of water and sewer main, individual components, maintenance, and renewal schedules.
- The Village of Fruitvale will set up a two-phase asset management initiative to assess, collect and organize existing asset information, and later create preliminary state of infrastructure report.
Details of all 15 projects are included in the backgrounder.
Manitoba
With funding from MAMP:
- The City of Dauphin will develop an asset management program including an asset management policy and a strategic asset management plan. It will also identify critical assets and their associated risks as well as partner with the Canadian Network of Asset Managers to provide basic asset management training to all staff. This project and its initiatives will allow the city to complete asset management plans for all its assets.
- Gilbert Plains Municipality will build up an asset management policy, strategy, roadmap, and plan focusing on road, water and sewer networks, and building asset classes. These actions will allow Gilbert Plains to build a solid asset management base and to have a clear direction for the future.
- The Town of Neepawa will implement an asset management plan and continue training and development for staff and council. The town will also update its data collection and reporting process.
Details of all seven projects are included in the backgrounder.
New Brunswick
With funding from MAMP:
- The Rural Community of Saint-André will develop a database of its infrastructure assets such as water, sanitary sewers, roads and buildings. They will analyze risks related to climate change and the state of its assets and set short-term priorities.
- The Village of Petit-Rocher will take inventory of its municipal assets, assess their condition and develop an asset management plan.
- The Town of Saint-Léonard will improve its asset management plan by undertaking activities such as data collection, condition assessment of essential and valuable assets, and priority setting, planning and report preparation.
Yukon
With funding from MAMP, the Village of Carmacks will conduct a detailed inspection and assessment of assets and a review of current and historical maintenance practices and competencies. These will be used to develop an updated asset management plan that incorporates the more detailed condition assessment insights to build on the existing Asset Management Plan. This would focus on assessing lifecycle needs and required investment in both operating and capital. In future phases of this work, it would incorporate the developed maintenance plans into the Asset Management Plan.
Alberta
With funding from MAMP:
- The Town of Whitecourt will create and implement specific, measurable, deliverable goals along with a strategy to provide a clear direction and approach to implement asset management for the community. Its Asset Management Implementation Plan will ensure that infrastructure decisions will align with the town’s Strategic Plan and organizational goals and objectives, ensuring a sustainable and resilient community.
- The Town of Legal will inspect and analyze the condition of its sanitary sewer systems through closed-circuit television as well as undertake water network assessment and modeling. This roadmap will allow the town to use solid management practices for current and future capital improvements and prioritize spending in the right areas.
- The Village of Donnelly and its neighbours will implement asset management practices in a sustainable manner for the foreseeable future. Key achievements will include an achievable breakdown of future tasks through the creation of an asset management roadmap, a consolidated basic asset inventory to inform future investment decisions, and increased knowledge sharing with neighbouring municipalities and the public.
Details of all 21 projects are included in the backgrounder.
Quebec
With funding from MAMP:
- The City of Drummondville will upgrade data and prepare a transport asset management plan.
- The Town of Saint-Lazare will establish a solid foundation for an asset management approach and improve the decision-making processes. The city aims to obtain a planning tool to develop a five-year plan as well as a system for prioritizing work.
- The City of Saint-Jérôme will create a multi-service asset management committee and develop its first asset management plan.
Nova Scotia
With funding from MAMP:
- The Municipality of the District of Guysborough will collect data to document its capital assets and their current state, current and future service needs, and determine which assets can or should be retired. It will also develop an asset management plan that will help to support and encourage long-term municipal capital planning and provide effective stewardship of capital assets to maximize benefits and levels of service.
- The Municipality of the District of Barrington will create an asset management plan and implement software, collect data, and assess the condition of its facilities assets, and develop a policy and procedure framework and knowledge building.
Saskatchewan
With funding from MAMP:
- The Town of Rose Valley will develop an asset management plan for water, wastewater, road network, buildings, and fleet asset classes. The town will create a robust asset inventory by improving asset management software, geographic information system mapping of assets and contract asset condition assessments for critical asset classes.
- The Village of Codette will complete the condition assessment of its assets and infrastructure, which will improve budgeting and capital planning processes. The village will also establish a strategy to address the decision-making approaches, roles and responsibilities of Council, Administration, and Staff, and how the asset management program will be monitored and evaluated over time.
- The Village of Frobisher will implement an asset management plan, strategy, and roadmap. It will also organize asset management training workshop for staff and council.
Details of all 27 projects are included in the backgrounder.
Newfoundland and Labrador
With funding from MAMP:
- The Town of Raleigh will compile a complete inventory of the town’s major assets including linear assets, buildings and structures and fleet. State of infrastructure reports will be prepared to summarize and present the information in a format suitable for council and the public. Renewal and replacement projects will be prioritized through a risk assessment process involving Council and the staff to support a preliminary capital program.
- The Town of Paradise will hire an asset management coordinator responsible for strengthened data for the Town’s Asset Management program. The project includes collecting physical characteristic data for most assets (roads, wastewater, water, stormwater, fleet/equipment, building/facilities, parks/recreation), collecting conditions data on major assets (roads, water, wastewater, stormwater), and applying level of service indicators to major asset classes (roads, water, wastewater, stormwater).
- The Town of St. Anthony will compile a complete inventory of the town’s major assets including linear assets, buildings and structures and fleet. Council and staff will also participate in a training session providing an overview of asset management concepts and benefits and to draft an asset management policy to guide decisions around renewal and replacement of infrastructure.
Details of all 31 projects are included in the backgrounder.
Featured image: Town of Whitecourt, Alberta. (Wikimedia Commons)
