Ontario Investing $30M for Critical Water Infrastructure in Cornwall

February 17, 2026

Funding will support housing, jobs and economic growth

NEWS February 17th 2026

Cornwall — Today, MPP Quinn announced that the Ontario government is investing up to $30M to expand water infrastructure in Cornwall. The funding comes from the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream (MHIP-HSWS), which has increased by $700 million for a total of $875 million to support access to safe drinking water, housing, job creation and protection for communities in the event of extreme weather events.

“Protecting our community starts with protecting the critical infrastructure our homes, businesses and services need,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “Through this historic investment, our government is ensuring Cornwall’s water supply remains safe and reliable for decades to come.”

The MHIP-HSWS funding will be used in Cornwall to construct a secondary intake to draw raw water from Lake St. Lawrence into the City’s water purification plant. This new intake will ensure the reliability of Cornwall’s water supply in the event of a blockage or failure of the original intake which was built in 1955 and is nearing the end of its service life.

“This funding from the Ontario Government is a significant contribution to our secondary water intake project,” said Mayor Justin Towndale. “This project will ensure the safety and security of our community’s water supply for future generations. The City of Cornwall is grateful for the Province’s support and investment in our critical infrastructure.”

This funding is part of a historic investment of $4 billion in the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), included in Ontario’s $220 billion capital plan, the most ambitious in the province’s history, to build transit, highways, hospitals, schools and water infrastructure that enables new housing.

“As we continue to navigate economic uncertainty and unwarranted U.S. tariffs, our government is protecting Ontario by investing in critical infrastructure that drives growth, creates jobs and strengthens communities,” said Todd McCarthy, Acting Minister of Infrastructure. “Through our historic $4 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, we are giving municipalities and First Nations the tools they need to get shovels in the ground and build stronger communities. Our investments will deliver more homes, modernize aging water systems and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity across Ontario.”

QUICK FACTS
• In August 2025, Ontario increased the MHIP to $4 billion to speed up construction of homes and core infrastructure, such as roads and water systems. Since its launch in 2024, the MHIP has made about 800,000 more new homes possible.
• The MHIP is comprised of four funding streams: the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF), the Housing-Enabling Core Servicing (HECS) Stream, the Health and Safety Water Stream (HSWS) and the Agriculture and Irrigation Stream.
• In January 2025, Ontario announced an initial investment of $175 million to launch the HSWS.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Ontario Investing $1.6 Billion in Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program
• Ontario Getting Homes and Infrastructure Built Faster and Smarter
• Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program
• Health and Safety Water Stream

Media Contact
Adrian Bugelli
Office of MPP Nolan Quinn
613-933-6513
Nolan.Quinn@pc.ola.org