PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE - Portage la Prairie’s community revitalization efforts received a boost today as Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton announced funding for five projects in this new Neighbourhoods Alive! community.

 

“Ideas identified at the local level reflect the community’s priorities and are what will make a difference in the realization of community renewal efforts,” said Ashton.  “These projects will help young people find new recreation opportunities, support families and help plan community events in Portage la Prairie.”

 

Neighbourhoods Alive! provided $25,000 in 2008 and has committed $225,000 over three years in core operating funding for the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation.  Five more projects in Portage have been recently funded through the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, totalling an additional $137,532:

·        Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation received $35,000 for the Community Facilitation project to support the continued co-ordination of community development activities in Portage.

·        Youth for Christ Inc. received $33,000 for its Community Resource Centre project (The Door) involving the renovation of a Manitoba Housing unit in northeast Portage to offer recreation and family support.

·        Portage Evangelical Church received $19,532 for playground development to purchase and install a play structure, benches, landscaping and fencing on a formerly-vacant lot.

·        The Portage la Prairie School Division was provided with $25,000 for the École Crescentview play structure project to install a new structure that meets current safety and accessibility criteria.

·        The Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation received $25,000 to establish a Small Grants Fund.  This fund will provide up to $5,000 per project that encourages community building and interaction.

 

In 2009, Neighbourhoods Alive! introduced a new program called Community Youth Recreation.  In Portage, the program has provided $10,000 to Youth for Christ and $7,000 to the Portage Friendship Centre for enhanced youth programming.

 

“Neighbourhoods Alive! is pleased to have the Portage la Prairie Community Revitalization Corporation as a partner and looks forward to a long-term relationship,” added Ashton.

 

In 2007, Neighbourhoods Alive! expanded to five new communities including Portage la Prairie, Dauphin, Selkirk, The Pas and Flin Flon.  Neighbourhoods Alive! is a long-term, community-based, social and economic-development strategy that supports and encourages community-driven revitalization efforts in designated communities.

 

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