December 18, 2002

Sport, recreational and cultural programs for young people are being improved in the West Broadway, Lord Selkirk Park and Weston neighbourhoods of Winnipeg with $246,000 in provincial funding for four youth programs, Jean Friesen, minister responsible for Neighbourhoods Alive!, said today.

The minister was speaking at the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre at a ceremony to launch the Positive Athletics and Cultural Experiences (PACE) project today. The minister congratulated Ma Mawi, Broadway Neighbourhood Centre, Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre and Weston Memorial Community Centre. These community groups are working together on PACE.

"These investments in youth recreation, leadership and cultural learning in inner-city Winnipeg are already proving their value," said Friesen.

Neighbourhoods Alive! supports programs that encourage participation by young people, demonstrate community partnerships and are run by dedicated staff and volunteers in the inner city of Winnipeg.

Through Neighbourhoods Alive!, the province has contributed $56,000 for the first six months of the PACE project. This project both complements and expands on the work that Ma Mawi has undertaken with its Youth Cultural Learning program which received $97,000 in Neighbourhoods Alive! funding.

The Youth Cultural Learning program develops Aboriginal cultural opportunities for young people in the inner city. Young residents have been able to participate in pow-wow clubs, arts and crafts, and sweat lodges. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants have been able to experience traditional Manitoba Aboriginal cultural activities.

Other youth oriented projects receiving Neighbourhoods Alive! funding this year include the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council (MASRC), which received $75,000 for the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC). This is the third year that the MASRC, in partnership with the City of Winnipeg, has offered a summer program at the old exhibition site. Hundreds of Aboriginal children took part in the Kids Camp and many youth and adults participated on baseball teams. Several WASAC instructors and participants were involved in the North American Indigenous Games this past summer in Winnipeg.

Neighbourhoods Alive! also provided $18,000 this year for the Rotary Leadership Circle. The Rotary Club of Winnipeg has provided this youth leadership program at several inner-city community centres for the past several years. Some of the graduates are now young adults in university or college and are working as leaders in their communities.

"Congratulations to Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata, WASAC and the Rotary Club," added Friesen. "Through our partnership with these groups, we find community-based solutions and inner-city kids have activities that lead to positive life experiences and a brighter future."

Neighbourhoods Alive! is a long-term, community-based, social and economic development strategy that supports and encourages community-driven revitalization efforts in specific neighbourhoods in Winnipeg, Brandon and Thompson. The strategy focuses on key areas such as housing and physical improvements, employment and training, education and recreation, safety, and crime prevention.

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