May 30, 2005
Culture, Heritage and Tourism Minister Eric Robinson today announced the province will commit $3 million to Community Places program projects this year.
The Community Places program helps local communities repair, upgrade or create safe recreational and cultural spaces for children, seniors and all Manitobans.
“Through Community Places, the province is responding to the needs of municipalities and organizations which are committed to the renewal of recreation and wellness infrastructure,” said Robinson.
In 2005-06, the program will support over $49 million in community-based construction projects to upgrade existing facilities or create new ones. A total of 282 community projects will benefit from the funding this year.
Examples of this year’s community projects include libraries, playgrounds, multi-use and recreation facilities, ethnocultural centres, community halls, and child-care and seniors’ facilities. The projects involve fire safety, energy-efficiency improvements and disability-access upgrades.
Eligible projects receive up to 50 per cent of the first $15,000 of total project costs and up to one-third of any costs over that amount, to a maximum of $50,000. Non-profit organizations can apply for assistance with critical building repairs, energy-saving initiatives and other improvements.
“This year’s grants are being approved earlier than ever before, allowing communities to finalize their plans and book their contractors before the busy building season begins,” said Robinson.
In 2005-06, Community Places projects will create over 15,000 weeks of work and employ over 3,000 Manitobans. It the coming weeks, rural and urban community groups will begin a diverse range of Community Places assisted projects such as these following examples:
| Location | Organization | Project | Grant |
| Grand Rapids | Town of Grand Rapids | Construct a new “green”
civic/sport/recreation centre |
$25,000 |
| Stonewall | Starting Blocks | Improve exterior and playground improvements at child-care centre | $ 3,200 |
| Winnipeg | Laurel Centre | Renovate building for relocation of women’s organization | $40,000 |
| Tadoule Lake | Sayisi Dene First Nation | Renovate building for youth drop-in centre | $15,000 |
| Winnipeg | Chinese United Church | Replace roof on community centre | $ 5,000 |
| Sifton | Sifton Historical Society | Restore a designated heritage church/museum | $13,400 |
| Gladstone | Town of Gladstone | Construct a new “green” civic/recreation centre | $30,000 |
| Steinbach | Serving Seniors Inc. | Replace roof and interior improvements | $ 7,000 |
| Elkhorn | Manitoba Automobile Museum | Upgrade roof and site drainage | $ 3,000 |
The complete list will be available on the Community Places website at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/grants.
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