NEIGHBOURHOODS ALIVE! SUPPORTS COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THOMPSON

THOMPSON -- The province is investing up to $325,000 over five years in Thompson's newly-formed neighbourhood renewal corporation, which is working with Neighbourhoods Alive! to revitalize older areas of the Northern Manitoba city, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean Friesennnounced today.

Friesen said providing long-term assistance to neighbourhood renewal corporations (NRCs) like Thompson's helps to ensure there is strong and sustained local leadership to revitalize Neighbourhoods Alive! designated communities. NRCs are local, democratic organizations that focus on community economic development and building the capacity of their neighbourhoods.

"Addressing the physical and social needs of our neighbourhoods is important, but attention must also be paid to their economic well-being. Skills training, mentoring, business creation and retention all help to build a community's capacity and ensure its well-being," said Friesen. "Community economic development is an important priority for the Manitoba government."

The Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is the latest NRC to be formed with Neighbourhoods Alive! support. Thompson NRC has a city-wide mandate with an emphasis on pockets of deterioration. The corporation has received $25,000 to date for phase one start-up costs and to develop a neighbourhood development strategy. Once the strategy is in place, Thompson NRC will be eligible for $75,000 in annual operating funding.

Neighbourhoods Alive! is one of the government's key community economic development initiatives and includes programs such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, training initiatives, Lighthouses after school programming for youth and the Neighbourhood Housing Assistance program.

Since its inception in 2000, Neighbourhoods Alive! has developed partnerships with NRCs in Thompson, Brandon and inner-city communities in Winnipeg. Today's announcement includes funding to all five NRCs which will total $2.4 million over five years and will assist NRCs with core operating costs including staff, facility and office expenses.

The NRCs lead the revitalization efforts in their respective communities and are instrumental in identifying priorities for assistance under Neighbourhoods Alive! NRCs are also required to formulate neighbourhood development strategies to guide revitalization efforts and identify priorities and plans of action.

 Neighbourhoods Alive! is the provincial government's long-term, community-based social and economic strategy to support and encourage community driven revitalization efforts in designated neighbourhoods in Manitoba's three largest cities--Thompson, Brandon and Winnipeg.