A pair of community projects in the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge are getting financial help through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).
The province earmarked $486,132 on six separate assets including the Murillo and Rosslyn Community Centres as well the Outdoor Rinks for Intola, Kakabeka, Rosslyn and Murillo.
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland made the funding announcement Friday in his role as Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Northern Development Greg Rickford.
"Our government has announced several infrastructure funding projects that are designed to enhance and help smaller communities to not just maintain and rehabilitate, but to expand and grow their infrastructure as community needs change," he said. "The smaller communities require that assistance to help keep up with them."
Holland also unveiled $355,991 in funding to help modernize the Norwest Arena, which houses many hockey teams, including the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).
"The funds here are going to go to electrical upgrades, [as well as] purchasing a battery powered ice resurfacer to get away from the propane operated one," he added. "[The funds will help] improve systems for putting in the ice, maintaining the ice and the cooling system. We're going to be putting in new kitchen equipment to help the canteen here. So there's a number of improvements that are really going to enhance the arena.”
The total cost of the six projects is estimated at just over $1.1 million, leaving the municipality to contribute $280,000.
In a release, the province said the NOHFC has invested more than $685 million in 5,656 projects in Northern Ontario since June 2018.
