Stantec and MPE to engineer Saskatchewan’s Westside Irrigation Rehabilitation Project
August 6, 2024
By CCE Staff
Photo courtesy Stantec.
Saskatchewan’s government has awarded planning and engineering work for its Westside Irrigation Rehabilitation Project (WIRP) to Prairie Engineering Partners, a joint venture (JV) between Stantec and Englobe division MPE.
The selection was announced on July 25. The WIRP is the first part of the Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation Projects (LDIP), which will both optimize existing infrastructure and develop new infrastructure spanning from the lake to the Ardath-Swanson area near the village of Conquest, to achieve 90,000 acres of irrigated land.
“This project starts at the waters of Lake Diefenbaker, but has the potential to create major benefits for all of Saskatchewan,” says David Marit, provincial minister responsible for water security.
Prairie Engineering Partners—which was selected based on technical criteria, financial costs and face-to-face interviews—will be responsible for completing fieldwork, planning and engineering to the next stage of project design. Following engineering, design and engagement with stakeholders and Indigenous rights holders over the next year, major construction is targeted to start between 2025 and 2026.
The province has reportedly developed more than 58,000 acres of irrigation since 2020, representing the largest growth since the early 1980s, and is on track to achieve or exceed a goal of 85,000 acres by 2030.
