Canada and Ontario Invest in 30 community and Recreation Projects in Central Ontario
Infrastructure
2021-04-08 10:45:00

GRAND VALLEY — Across the country, Canadians are feeling the impact of COVID-19 on their families, their livelihoods, and their way of life. Together, Canada and Ontario are working to reduce the impact of the pandemic, ensure health and safety, rebuild businesses, and promote job creation, growth and investment.

Today, Kate Young, Member of Parliament for London West, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General and Member of Provincial Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure; the Honourable Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues and Member of Provincial Parliament for Simcoe North; and His Worship Steve Soloman, Mayor of the Town of Grand Valley announced joint funding for 30 community, cultural and recreation projects across central Ontario.  

The Government of Canada is investing over $11.3 million in these projects through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $9 million, while municipalities and other recipients are investing over $7.1 million in their respective projects.

Among the projects funded, improvements to the community centre in Grand Valley will help meet the recreational needs of the growing communities of Grand Valley, Amaranth, and East Garafraxa. Upgrades to the community centre's arena will replace the fifty-year-old ice surface slab with a new, modern floor and include new dasher boards, concrete work and refrigeration lines. Six new change rooms will also be added.

For Northern Bruce Peninsula, upgrades to the Lion Head's Community Centre Arena includes constructing six new barrier-free dressing rooms, creating a multi-purpose room and new space for the Bruce County Library, and renovating existing and adding washrooms to address accessibility. The project will improve the centre's accessibility and the programming available to residents.

The project in Minto will see improvements to the Palmerston & District Community Centre, including the renovation of existing, and construction of additional, arena dressing rooms; LED lighting upgrades for one of the existing baseball diamonds; and the creation of a third baseball diamond with backstop fencing and stone dust. This project will improve community access to indoor and outdoor recreational programs and activities and will help better serve the non-profit community sports groups that use the baseball diamonds and ice rink.

Additional investments in other recreation and community projects across central Ontario include upgrades to improve accessibility to community and recreational centres, rehabilitation of local trail systems, renovations to outdoor parks and sport facilities, and work to improve energy efficiency in multiple facilities across the province.  

All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when needed most.