Province Continues to Help Northern, Remote Communities Build and Upgrade Recreational Facilities with Community Places Program

Northern and remote communities can once again apply for grants to improve their recreational and community facilities through the Community Places Program – North, Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross announced today.

“Good recreational facilities are important to the quality of life in northern communities,” said Irvin-Ross. “We will continue to work with these communities to help them expand and improve facilities that provide leisure, recreation and wellness opportunities for youth and families.”

“Our government believes families living in northern and remote communities should have access to the same kinds of recreation opportunities as those in the south,” said Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson.  “By providing support to renovate and modernize recreational facilities, the government of Manitoba is fulfilling its commitment to help improve the quality of life in northern communities.”

Through the Community Places Program, the Manitoba government will provide planning assistance and funding to northern and remote communities for new recreation and community facility construction, upgrading, expansion or acquisition projects, as well as the purchase of essential sporting equipment that is directly related to the capital project.

Eligible projects are those that would provide sustainable recreational and wellness benefits to communities, with an emphasis on youth.  Non-profit community organizations can apply for assistance with critical building repairs, energy-saving initiatives and user-related improvements.

Grants of up to $75,000 are now being made available to northern and remote communities, with no requirement to match funding, for infrastructure and recreational projects such as playgrounds and outdoor rinks.  The projects can include small repairs such as boards on ice rinks, replacement of old windows and doors or more substantial upgrades to modernize an entire recreational facility.  The program is designed to ensure application deadlines and approvals are completed by winter road season so construction materials can be transported to communities that only have winter road access.

Applications will be available June 17 and will be open until Sept. 15.  Grant approvals will be announced in January 2014.  All projects are community-led.  Eligible applicants include incorporated recreational, sports, cultural, heritage and other non-profit community organizations and First Nations and local urban districts.

Program criteria calls for applicants to be a northern or remote community located north of the 53rd parallel and exclude The Pas, Thompson and Flin Flon.  South of the 53rd parallel, remote communities only accessible by a winter road can apply.

For more information and to download a Community Places North application, go to:www.gov.mb.ca/housing/cpp/.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED

Community Place North 2013 Grants

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