February 25, 2002

Projects focusing on improving job and training opportunities for youth, as well as quality of life in Winnipeg’s core area, are receiving support from Neighbourhoods Alive!, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Jean Friesen announced today.

A total of $144,100 will assist projects by three community organizations: JobWORKS, Housing Concerns Group of Winnipeg Inc. and SEED Winnipeg. Two of the projects will help youth gain work experience and training, while the third will help inner-city communities decide how to direct their neighbourhood development efforts in the future.

"These kinds of projects provide the groundwork for vibrant, healthy neighbourhoods," Friesen said. "By creating more opportunities today, particularly for our youth, we change the future of the whole community. When the heart of our largest city is strong, the entire province benefits."

The two training and work experience projects will be funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which provides financial support for local planning, physical enhancements, economic development and community support programs in designated neighbourhoods.

JobWORKS will receive $100,000 to renovate its Youth Builders facility, which accommodates young construction trainees from the Spence neighbourhood. In addition to learning construction skills, trainees receive academic upgrading and counselling support. The program provides many participants with their first experience at a work site--often after they have been away from school for a long time.

Housing Concerns Group of Winnipeg Inc. in the West Broadway neighbourhood will receive $30,000 for its Odd Jobs for Kids program. Through the program, young people in the West Broadway neighbourhood can gain work experience after school and on weekends.

The third organization will receive funding through the Community Initiatives Program, which assists projects in providing benefits for Winnipeg’s entire inner city.

SEED Winnipeg will receive $14,100 to carry out the Winnipeg Quality of Life project, which will measure the well-being of inner-city neighbourhoods, based on the perspectives of residents.

"We have statistics on other neighbourhood characteristics--such as income, education levels and incidence of crime--but not on the perceived well-being of the community," Friesen said. "Yet a sense of satisfaction and quality of life is important to neighbourhood development. By measuring this key factor, the Quality of Life project will help community and government organizations identify where our resources should be focused."

Neighbourhoods Alive! is the Manitoba government’s long-term social and economic strategy for designated areas in Manitoba’s three largest cities--Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson. Neighbourhoods Alive! provides funding and encouragement for community-driven revitalization efforts dealing with housing, physical improvements, employment and training, education, recreation, safety, crime prevention and other neighbourhood priorities.

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