Shelburne receives $35 million investment for wastewater expansion project

April 16, 2026 · 0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes

The Town of Shelburne has received $35 million in provincial funding to be put toward upgrades and an expansion of Shelburne’s Water Pollution Control Plant.

The improvements are expected to increase wastewater treatment capacity, removing a barrier to new residential, commercial and industrial development.

Mayor Wade Mills said that, considering the high cost, the project would have been unfeasible for the municipality without provincial support, highlighting the importance of provincial funding allowing the work to proceed.

“The Town of Shelburne’s housing development, as well as significant industrial and commercial development, will be unlocked with an expansion to the Water Pollution Control Plant,” he said. “This has only been made possible due to this significant grant of $35 million from the Province of Ontario.”

The expansion is significant for a town of Shelburne’s size. It will help prepare for growth, with the increased capacity expected to support the construction of up to 1,800 new homes in town.

Along with residential development, the project is also expected to support further commercial and industrial investment and development.

The funding is being provided to the town through the province’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, itself a part of the broader Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.

The Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program is a $4 billion initiative focused on helping municipalities build and upgrade critical infrastructure systems, such as water, wastewater, roads, and bridges.

Since its introduction in 2024, the province said the program has helped build hundreds of thousands of new homes by ensuring communities have the infrastructure needed before development moves forward.

A major component of the program, the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, focuses on improvements to drinking water and wastewater systems, areas identified as bottlenecks in fast-growing municipalities like Shelburne.

Province-wide, investments through the fund are expected to help build hundreds of thousands of new homes.

Provincial officials said the program is intended not only to speed up housing construction but also to support economic development and help municipalities manage population growth, particularly as communities like Shelburne continue to expand rapidly.