THUNDER BAY – A trio community infrastructure improvement plans will get off the ground as a result of nearly $250,000 from the federal government.
The funding commitment from FedNor through Ottawa’s Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program for the three Thunder Bay projects was announced Friday by MP Don Rusnak (Lib., Thunder Bay-Rainy River).
The Centennial Botanical Conservatory and Confederation College will each get $100,000 while the Community Clothing Assistance Centre has been granted $46,500.
Rusnak said all three recipients play a valuable role in the community.
“They do things that are needed in the city. If it weren’t for groups like the Friends of the Conservatory and the Clothing Assistance, we wouldn’t have all the positives that come out of facilities like this and facilities like the Clothing Assistance or the great things Confederation College does,” Rusnak said.
“There are a lot of projects that are in need of funding.”
The conservatory, built in 1967 to commemorate the nation’s centennial, has faced a number of challenges over the past number of years. The facility was closed for nearly a year in 2012 as a result of concerns of glass panes falling from the ceiling and the city budget outlined a $3.5 million renewal plan.
Sharon Sidlar, co-chair of the Friends of the Conservatory, said there is no shortage of work to be undertaken.
“Things that we really want to see are more accessibility with widening of the paths, the east and west wings reopened for the public,” Sidlar said. “We’d like to see glass replaced here because right now there are a few leaks that we see now and then when there’s a nice rainfall.”
The college is planning to use their share to install new signage and branding materials that will “include culturally sensitive visuals, directional information, promotional material and community points of interest that will be supported by designs that better resonate with First Nation, Metis and Inuit students, staff and stakeholders.”
The Community Clothing Assistance is going to put the money towards improvements to make their May Street building fully accessible and to update its façade.
The application process allowed government officials to learn about what matters to the community.
“It’s really the advocacy on the ground. We from Ottawa don’t make the decisions that happen in the regions or in the cities,” Rusnak said.
“We’re really listening to the municipalities and the organizations that are on the ground. It’s really about the voices here and what they want, not what Ottawa wants in the regions.”
The Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, which has allocated FedNor with $10.4 million over two years for Northern Ontario, was created to support rehabilitation or improvement of existing facilities.
