Written By David Gomez
LUCAN-BIDDULPH – Lucan-Biddulph will move ahead with the largest infrastructure grant in its history after receiving $17.6 million from the province to expand and modernize the township’s wastewater treatment plant.
The total project is expected to cost between $22 and $24 million. With most of that covered by the provincial grant, municipal funds can be directed toward other priorities. Mayor Cathy Burghardt-Jesson called the investment a turning point for the township. “This is a game changer, $17.6 million for a community of 5,000 people. If we were having to fund this, it would tie our hands to be able to do other things.”
Planning for the expansion has been underway for several years. Consultations with the province began nearly six years ago, and the municipality submitted applications during two previous funding rounds without success. “This is the third intake for this project, and we applied the other two times and were unsuccessful,” Burghardt-Jesson said. “It’s tenacity. You just can’t give up.”
Preparation played a key role in securing approval this time. Engineering work has been completed, and tender documents are nearly ready. “For all intents and purposes, the tender documents are ready to go. I think that’s why we were also successful, because we really are shovel ready,” said Burghardt-Jesson.
The timeline anticipates tendering later this fall, with construction possibly beginning by the end of the year. The work will take roughly 18 months, extending into 2027. While the primary goal is to expand capacity for growth, parts of the system that date back to the early 1990s will also be renewed. “There’s a component of this that is revitalization of components already in there. That’s not the growth part, but part of that grant money will help offset that too,” she said.
The mayor added that the funding demonstrates confidence from the province in the township’s future. “They see what we have been doing. They see the investment that developers have been making and want to continue to make.”
For Lucan-Biddulph, the size of the grant is unprecedented. “Yes, the largest grant ever seen here,” Burghardt-Jesson said. “It was everything we asked for!”
