Grants  and  transfers  Source   Purpose   Program   Eligibility   Funding  

Alberta  Ecotrust  

 

Various   Alberta  Ecotrust  Grants  

Alberta  Ecotrust  is  a  partnership  between  the  corporate  sector  and  environmental  community  that  invests  in  people  and  projects  that  protect  the  natural  systems  Albertans  rely  on  for  life  and  prosperity.    Alberta  Ecotrust  provides  various  grant  funding  programs  on  topics  such  as  watershed  education,  aquifer  projects,  and  watershed  health.  Eligibility  changes  dependent  on  the  program.  

Funding  varies  depending  on  programs,  which  range  in  topics  from  communications  and  outreach  funding  for  watershed  health  organizations,  to  renewable  energy  projects,  to  educational  programs  for  schools.    

Alberta  Environment  and  Parks  (AEP)    

Surface  Water   Alberta  Water  Management  and  Erosion  Control  Program  

Local  Authorities  defined  under  Section  1  of  the  Water  Act  including  Municipal  Districts,  Counties,  Cities,  Towns,  Villages,  Summer  Villages,  Metis  Settlements,  Irrigation  Districts,  Drainage  Districts,  Improvement  Districts,  Special  Areas,  Regional  Services  Commissions  and  local  health  units  are  eligible  to  apply.  

AEP  offers  grants  covering  up  to  65  per  cent  of  the  eligible  engineering  and  construction  costs  of  approved  water  management  and  erosion  control  problem  projects.  The  maximum  assistance  available  is  $275,000  per  project.  Potential  projects  include:  

• Erosion  control  • Flow  regulation  (e.g.  lake  

stabilization,  backflood  irrigation,  storage  dams)  

• Water  based  recreation  (e.g.  community  wharves  and  boat  launches,  man-­‐made  lakes)  

• Fish,  waterfowl  and  wildlife  habitat  enhancement.  

• Surface  raw  water  supply  (to  secure  

 

a  community  raw  water  supply  from  surface  water  sources  where  adequate  sources  to  not  exist  within  reasonable  distance.)  

• Special  surface  water  management  projects  

Alberta  Transportation    

Infrastructure   Alberta  Municipal  Water/Wastewater  Partnership  (AMWWP)    

AMWWP  funding  is  available  to  Cities  (under  45,000  population),  Towns,  Villages,  Summer  Villages,  Regional  Commissions  and  eligible  hamlets  within  rural  municipalities.      

Funding  is  provided  to  cities  (under  45,000  population),  towns,  villages,  summer  villages,  regional  commissions  and  eligible  hamlets  within  rural  municipalities  for  the  construction  of  high-­‐priority  water  supply  and  treatment  and  wastewater  treatment  and  disposal  facilities.  Water  distribution  and/or  sewage  collection  systems  are  not  eligible  for  assistance.      For  municipalities  under  1,000  population,  projects  are  cost-­‐shared  on  a  75  per  cent  government/25  per  cent  municipality  basis.  For  communities  over  1,000  population  (to  a  maximum  45,000  population),  grant  percentage  ratios  are  calculated  by  a  formula.  The  percentage  ratio  declines  as  the  population  increases.    

Alberta  Transportation  

Infrastructure   Water  for  Life   Funding  under  Water  for  Life  is  available  for  new  regional  water  or  wastewater  systems  or  new  regional  commissions  to  regional  commissions  or  groups  of  two  or  more  municipalities  that  are  eligible  for  funding  under  the  AMWWP.    

Funding  amounts  under  Water  for  Life  depend  on  the  type  of  project.  For  more  information  on  Water  for  Life  cost  coverages,  click  here.  

 

Alberta  Water  and  Wastewater  Operators  Association  (AWWOA)    

Operators   Operator  Training  Subsidy  for  Classroom  Courses  for  Small  Municipalities          

Training  subsidies  are  offered  to  AWWOA  member  operators  from  small  municipalities  within  Alberta  serving  fewer  than  5,000  people.  

The  AWWOA  offers  a  25  per  cent  registration  fee  reduction  for  operators  who  are  AWWOA  members  and  are  from  small  municipalities  within  Alberta.  This  subsidy  is  to  encourage  attendance  to  training  courses  by  offsetting  training  costs.  

Environment  Canada  

Community  Groups  

EcoAction  Community  Funding  Program  

Non-­‐profit  groups  and  organizations  are  eligible  to  receive  funding,  including  environmental  groups,  community  groups,  youth  and  seniors  groups,  community-­‐based  organizations,  service  clubs,  and  aboriginal  associations.    While  municipalities  are  not  eligible  for  direct  funding,  they  are  encouraged  to  partner  with  other  organizations  to  support  project  proposals.  Municipalities  may  also  wish  to  share  this  program  with  local  groups.  

Funding  is  available  up  to  a  maximum  of  $100,000  per  project.  The  Program  supports  projects  that  address  the  following  four  themes:  

• Clean  Air:  to  reduce  emissions  that  contribute  to  air  pollutants.  

• Clean  Water:  to  divert  and  reduce  substances  that  negatively  affect  water  quality  or  to  focus  on  water  conservation  and  efficiency.  

• Climate  Change:  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions  that  contribute  to  climate  change  or  deal  with  the  impacts  of  climate  change.  

• Nature:  to  reduce  biodiversity  loss,  protect  wildlife  and  plants,  and  protect  and  improve  habitats.  

Federation  of  Canadian  Municipalities    

Municipal  Environmental  Initiatives  

Green  Municipal  Fund   Green  Municipal  Fund  funding  is  available  to  all  municipal  governments  and  their  partners  for  environmental  plans,  feasibility  studies  and  pilot  projects,  and  capital  projects.  

Grants  covering  up  to  50  per  cent  of  eligible  costs  for  plans,  feasibility  studies  and  pilot  projects  to  a  maximum  of  $175,000  for  plans  and  feasibility  studies,  and  a  maximum  of  $350,000  for  pilot  projects  are  available.    Low  interest  loans  are  also  available  up  to  $5  million  to  cover  up  to  80  per  cent  of  eligible  costs  for  capital  projects.  

 

 Examples  of  eligible  water  and  wastewater  initiatives  include:  

• Water  management  plans  • Rainwater  collection  programs  • Green  roof  programs  • Rain  gardens  for  bio-­‐retention  • Low  impact  development  projects  • Wastewater  systems  • Septic  systems  

Government  of  Canada  /  Alberta  Municipal  Affairs    

Infrastructure   Federal  Gas  Tax  Fund   Municipalities  across  Alberta  receive  Federal  Gas  Tax  Fund  funding  as  part  of  the  New  Building  Canada  Fund.  Funding  is  provided  from  the  federal  government  to  provinces  and  territories,  which  in  turn  flow  this  funding  to  municipalities.  

Federal  Gas  Tax  Fund  funding  can  be  used  by  municipalities  for  various  water  and  wastewater  infrastructure  projects  including  water  and  wastewater  systems,  solid  waste  management,  and  disaster  mitigation  infrastructure.    While  this  funding  is  available,  it  is  also  available  to  be  used  for  other  purposes  such  as  public  transit  systems,  solid  waste  management,  and  community  capacity  building.  Given  the  large  infrastructure  deficits  experienced  by  municipalities,  this  often  makes  the  funding  insufficient  to  cover  all  water  and  wastewater  needs.  

Land  Stewardship  Centre    

Community  Groups  

Watershed  Stewardship  Grants  

Funding  is  available  for  watershed  stewardship  groups  which  are  working  in  their  communities  to  raise  awareness  of  local  watershed  issues  or  improve  the  condition  of  their  local  watershed.    While  municipal  governments  

Grants  of  up  to  $10,000  are  available  for  community  based  projects  that  focus  on:  

1. Increasing  the  awareness  and  understanding  of  local  watershed  issues.  

2. Demonstrating,  testing  or  displaying  various  watershed  management  options.  

3. Building  membership  and  

 

are  not  eligible  to  apply  for  this  group,  they  can  serve  as  a  partner  for  a  group  that  does  not  have  legal  status.  Municipalities  may  also  wish  to  share  information  about  this  program  to  local  groups.  

organizational  capacity.  4. Measuring  and  reporting  on  

environmental  and  social  indicators  of  watershed  health.  

5. Developing  management  plans  for  and  engaging  in  physical,  on-­‐the-­‐ground  activities  to  improve  the  condition  of  local  watersheds  and  water  bodies.  

Royal  Bank  of  Canada    

Community  Groups  

RBC  Blue  Water  Project  

Only  registered  charities  in  communities  with  10,000  or  more  population  are  eligible  for  funding  under  the  RBC  Blue  Water  Program.  However,  municipalities  are  encouraged  to  find  a  partner  organization  that  can  receive  funding.  

Funding  is  available  in  two  forms:  • Community  action  grants  ($1,000  to  

$10,000)  • Leadership  Grants  ($10,001  to  

$100,000).  RBC  will  fund  programs  that  focus  on  improving  control  and  management  of  urban  storm  or  rain  water,  efficient  and  innovative  use  or  reuse  of  water,  protection  and  restoration  of  urban  waterways,  or  improved  urban  water  quality.