Canada and Ontario invest over $35 million in 35 recreational and community infrastructure projects

TOWNSHIP OF ST. JOSEPH, ON, July 6, 2021 /CNW/ - Across the country, Canadians are feeling the impacts of COVID-19, on their families, their livelihoods, and their way of life. Together, the governments of Canada and Ontario are taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities to ensure community infrastructure is safe and reliable, while looking ahead to see what more can be done in these unprecedented times.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt; the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure; Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton; and His Worship Jody Wilman, Mayor of the Township of St. Joseph, announced joint funding for 35 recreational and community infrastructure projects across Ontario.

The Government of Canada is investing over $19.1 million in these projects through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing over $15.9 million, while recipients are investing over $13 million in their respective projects.

Among the projects announced is the Centennial Grounds Sports and Culture revitalization project in the Township of St. Joseph. The project involves the construction of a new screened room for cultural events, washroom and shower facilities, as well as shade structures to support multiday cultural and sporting events. Work also involves the installation of new topsoil and grass for grounds field and corral areas, and the expansion of a corral area for an additional soccer field. Once completed, this project will allow the Centennial Grounds to accommodate further community sports and cultural events.

In Tillsonburg, funding will support the rehabilitation of the Tillsonburg Community Centre. The project includes replacing the pool area tile floors, upgrades to the pool roof, lighting, health club and sauna. Work will also expand the pool's change rooms to allow for family and gender-neutral accessibility, the installation of a new ramp entry into the pool, and the construction of a new 3,600 square foot outdoor splash pad. This project will improve accessibility and increase the quality of community and recreational infrastructure by providing residents access to an improved and accessible pool and modern outdoor facilities.

The project in Hornepayne will see its community arena transformed into a community centre and hub. The scope of the project includes upgrading the existing hockey arena, curling club, and youth space, and expanding the community centre to add a seniors' socialization space with a community kitchen, a public library, fitness facility and a multiuse gym and meeting space. This work will provide residents with access to increased opportunities for sports, recreation, and cultural activities in an accessible and modern community centre.

Additional investments in other recreational infrastructure projects across Ontario include upgrades to community trail systems and parks, accessibility improvements to community centres, arenas, pools, and sports fields, and upgrades to local theatres and other cultural facilities.

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.

Quotes

"Ensuring Ontarians have access to recreational infrastructure is vital for community well-being and development. Today's investment in 35 recreation, community, and cultural projects across Ontario will provide thousands of residents access to modern recreational infrastructure where they can come together to create new connections, maintain healthy and active lifestyles and enjoy valued social and recreational programs. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities."

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Recreational infrastructure is the cornerstone of healthy communities. The investment announced in the Centennial Grounds Sports and Culture revitalization project in the Township of St. Joseph will ensure that our community and others like it across Ontario, can provide residents with state-of-the-art facilities that are both accessible and reliable and where they can stay fit and healthy for years to come."

Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt

"Local and accessible recreational opportunities are so important to personal, family and community health. These investments will help thousands of residents in Ontario reconnect with themselves and each other through indoor and outdoor activities and will contribute to our health, safety and wellbeing in our communities."

The Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure

"Today's investment in the Sarnia-Lambton community will give residents access to modern recreational infrastructure where they can come together to maintain healthy and active lifestyles and enjoy valued social and recreational programs. Ontario's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities."

Bob Bailey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sarnia–Lambton

"We would like to thank Infrastructure Canada for its support of our Centennial Grounds revitalization project.  This work will update and enhance this multi-use public space which is a prime location for community sports fields, concerts, community events and family celebrations."

His Worship Jody Wilman, Mayor of the Township of St. Joseph

Quick facts

• Through the Investing in Canada plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities. 
• Across Ontario, the Government of Canada has invested more than $14.1 billion in over 3,300 infrastructure projects.
• Across the province and over the next 10 years, Ontario is investing approximately $320 million and Canada is investing approximately $407 million under the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This stream supports the construction of new facilities and upgrades to existing facilities that improve community infrastructure (community centres,  libraries), recreational venues (arenas, recreational spaces) and cultural spaces (theatres, museums).
• Ontario is investing over $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community and other priority infrastructure.
• Across Canada, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government of Canada has contributed $9.7 billion to 3,500 infrastructure projects.

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Backgrounder

Canada and Ontario invest over $35 million in 35 recreational infrastructure projects

Joint federal, provincial, and recipient funding through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan will support 35 community, cultural, and recreation infrastructure projects across Ontario.

The Government of Canada is investing over $19.1 million in these projects through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing over $15.9 million, while recipients are investing over $13 million in their respective projects.

Project Information:

Project Name	Recipient	Project Details	Federal Funding	Provincial Funding	Recipient Funding
The Centennial Grounds Sports and Culture Revitalization	Township of St. Joseph	Construction of a new screened room for cultural events, washroom and shower facilities, as well as shade structures to support multiday cultural and sporting events. The construction will involve the resurfacing of the parking lot; new top soil and grass for ground fields and other landscaping; electrical, and lighting upgrades to improve outdoor sport facilities.	$114,385	$95,311	$76,266
Tillsonburg Community Centre Rehabilitation Project	Town of Tillsonburg	Replacement of the pool area's tile floors, deck and line, pool roof, pool mechanicals, and lighting, expanding the pool change room for family and gender neutral accessibility, as well as the installation of a new ramp entry into the pool, and the construction of a new 3,600 sq. ft. outdoor splash pad.	$1,999,801	$1,666,334	$1,333,367
Rehabilitation and Improvements to the Hearst Claude-Larose Recreation Centre	Town of Hearst	Rehabilitation of the arena and pool's equipment and infrastructure will improve service, cut energy costs, prolong the equipment's and infrastructure's life expectancy, enhance  accessibility for users and improve the safety features of the facility for workers and users.	$1,881,792	$1,568,003	$1,254,685
Community Centre- Upgrading and Expansion of current Facility	Township of Hornepayne	Upgrading the hockey arena, curling club and youth space, and expanding the community centre to add a seniors' socialization space with a community kitchen, a public library, fitness facility and a multi-use gym and meeting space. This will  transform the existing community arena into a community centre and hub.	$1,872,895	$1,560,590	$1,248,753
City of Sarnia Strangway Centre Gymnasium Extension	City of Sarnia	Expansion of the Stangway Centre will involve the hiring of architect and engineering services, a public consultation to determine design elements, and selection of the construction firm. The expansion will increase access to recreation and leisure options for seniors and adults over the age of 20.	$1,428,300	$1,190,131	$952,319
Dressing Rooms Expansion/Enhancement Project	County of Norfolk	Updates to the existing facilities to meet Hockey Canada's new guideline requirements to improve hockey player development, dressing rooms will be upgraded to make them fully accessible, with the addition of gender-neutral change rooms. Delhi, Langton, Port Dover and Waterford arenas will be upgraded.	$1,320,000	$1,099,890	$880,110
Sarnia-Lambton YMCA Recreation Facility Rehabilitation	YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, Sarnia-Lambton YMCA (Jerry McCaw Family Centre)	Replacement of all facility windows, exterior doors, balance of flat roof, heat exchangers, heat pumps and building an automation system, emergency generators, and pool filters. The rehabilitation will result in  operational costs savings to be reallocated towards programming for the community, including First Nations members and Newcomers.	$1,108,188	$923,398	$738,885
Renovations to the Glencoe Memorial Arena & Glencoe Curling Club	Municipality of Southwest Middlesex	Replace refrigerated concrete floors in both facilities; upgrade electrical panel, condenser fan and soft starters; convert to glycol-cooled compressor heads; upgrade ammonia detection & ventilation system and hot water system. Addition of new washroom; two new dressing rooms; sound system; cafeteria counter; and railing.	$1,082,554	$902,038	$721,793
Erin Community Centre Rehabilitation and Renovation	Town of Erin	Installation of a fixed emergency generator, health and safety upgrades to the electrical, HVAC and refrigeration systems, roof structure replacement, and a new alarm system, and accessibility improvements to the elevator, washroom, and signage.	$1,056,000	$879,912	$704,088
Historic West Elgin Town Hall Rehabilitation	Municipality of West Elgin	Renovations and upgrades to the Historic Town Hall will include a new asphalt roof, windows, doors, and masonry, improvements to the interior beams, fire rating, stairs and the HVAC system, as well as accessibility upgrades for a barrier-free entrance and the addition of universally accessible washrooms.	$1,006,500	$838,666	$671,084
Curtis Street Square	City of St. Thomas	Creation of a public plaza and meeting area, with enhanced parking area, green space and a pedestrian connection between the St. Thomas Public Library, a new child care centre and the historic L&PS Rail Corridor Tourism Centre and trail system. Additionally an outside courtyard will be developed at the library to enhance the overall experience.	$798,000	$672,000	$571,200
Renovation of Jackson Pool	City of Sarnia	Renovation of Jackson Pool with the construction of a new pool. Accessibility for all members of the public  will be improved with the renovations to the  change areas, splash area, washrooms, entrance and seating.	$770,700	$642,186	$513,864
McIntyre Headframe Restoration	City of Timmins	Restoration will include the selection of bidding contractors, detailed engineering designs and drawings, the replacement of the corroded structural steel and wood frame, and the repair of loose cladding and wall anchor backets on the exterior of the headframe.	$656,958	$547,410	$438,026
Moonbeam Community Hub	Township of Moonbeam	Construction and rehabilitation work to create a community hub. This involves the installation of a pavilion/roof on the outdoor skating rink, new skating rink boards, the installation of bleachers and new lights, the rehabilitation of the tennis court and the resurfacing of 6 kilometres of paved natura trails with asphalt.	$479,780	$399,777	$319,893
Keterson Park Multi-Use Community Facility	Municipality of West Perth	Construction of new multi-use facility will involve the removal of existing structures such as barns, the storage shed and pavilion, the relocation of existing batting cages, site remediation and new site servicing. This will help create a new accessible pathway to pavilion and all baseball diamonds.	$461,129	$348,963	$437,500
Family YMCA of St. Thomas-Elgin Recreation Facility Rehabilitation	YMCA of Southwestern Ontario, Family YMCA of St. Thomas-Elgin	Rehabilitation of the facility will involve the replacement of the roof over the gymnasium, and the replacement of the balance of roof and the PoolPak pool dehumidification unit, the construction of an additional storage facility, and retrofitting the doors to improve building accessibility.	$437,960	$364,930	$292,010
Renovation and Rehabilitation of the Iroquois Falls Recreation Complex	Town of Iroquois Falls	Renovation of the complex involves upgrading pool boilers and the condenser cooling tower; enhancing the building envelope, rehabilitating the pool's ceiling and insulation, upgrading lighting in the ladies gym to LED in addition to the replacement of plumbing and plumbing fixtures. The arena scoreboard and the multi-use service tractor will also be replaced	$311,259	$259,357	$207,532
Eastwood Park Upgrades	Municipality of Central Elgin	Upgrades will include a new accessible pathway system to connect four different streets with the park and provide access to the proposed amenities in the park. Further upgrades will include a new multi-use court, pickleball courts, green gym equipment, playground equipment and a large shade structure.	$286,000	$238,310	$190,690.50
Renovate and Rehabilitate Recreation at Assiginack Fairgrounds	Township of Assiginack	Renovations involve upgrading the baseball diamond lighting, sliding hill, and outdoor track, building a basketball court, jumping pits and a new storage building, converting part of the arena to a multi-purpose fitness room, installing soccer nets, as well as purchasing and installing exercise equipment for the fitness room.	$266,281	$219,682	$179,740
YMCA of Timmins Renovation:  Strengthening Impact in and for our community	City ofTimmins	Renovations to the Timmins Family YMCA include exterior renovations to solve the crumbling façade and lack of insulation, and will also include improvements to the building's overall accessibility. Insulation and new cladding will be added to the outside of the building.  Two exterior cement stairways will also be fixed.	$225,000	$187,481	$150,019
Rehabilitation of the (Earlton) Pool Building Facility	Township of Armstrong	Replacement of plumbing and drains, upgrading the boiler to a gas heating unit paired with a rooftop solar array, raising the foundation of the facility, improvements to the entrance to connect to access routes of the parking area, and the creation of fully accessible washrooms, change rooms, and reception area.	$189,200	$157,651	$126,149
PERC Park Pavilion & Trail	Township of Perth East	Creation of a community gathering place which includes the design of a 50' x 80' pavilion, a building with universal accessible washroom, storage room, kitchenette, interior and exterior lighting will be added, and the existing trail extended	$174,384	$145,305	$116,271
Roof Replacement Norwich Community Centre/Arena	Township of Norwich	Replacement of the existing steel roof of the Norwich community centre and arena. This will include the stripping and disposal of the current steel roof structure and the construction and installation of a new standing seam steel roof finished with a combination steel and single ply membrane.	$165,000	$165,000	$330,000
AODA Shelving for Libraries	Norfolk County Public Library Board	Rehabilitation work to address and enhance the functionality of shelves in Library branches. This will include redesigning the shelving layout and purchase of shelves that meet requirements under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. Three branches are involved; Waterford, Port Rowan and Simcoe.	$151,200	$125,987	$100,813
Camlachie Community Centre/Camlachie Library/Plympton-Wyoming Museum Improvements	Town of Plympton-Wyoming	Improvements involve upgrades to the washrooms including installing an access ramp, replacing the existing roof on the Camlachie Community Centre, installing and expanding an accessible parking area and walkways for the Library and Museum building. Overall accessibility to the building will be improved.	$142,908	$119,078	$95,284
Ski Resort Terrain Development for Increased Accessibility	Kamiskotia Snow Resort	Expansion of the snow making system infrastructure to enhance capacity and efficiency while utilizing new modern technologies, and constructing a downhill mountain bike trail system and operation to create additional off-season sustainability and continue to grow activities.	$130,200	$108,489	$86,811
Embro Matheson Park Revitalization	Township of Zorra	Replacement of the baseball lighting system with an electrical distribution panel, lighting controls, underground electrical servicing and light posts with LED heads. The historic Embro Highland Games and Embro Fair field stone monument will also be restored.	$115,000	$95,824	$76,676
Downie Optimist Hall Renovations	Township of Perth South	Renovations will involve removing carpeted walls, repairing ceilings and walls, replacing the kitchen, adding gender neutral and accessible washrooms, installing new lighting, and expanding the parking lot to include accessible spots.	$109,691	$91,400	$73,137
Rehabilitation of the Val Rita-Harty Community Centre	Township of Val Rita-Harty	Rehabilitation of the centre includes converting two former classrooms into a single community space and adding an electronic key system. This will allow for increased access to the community centre and social programming.	$98,620	$82,175	$65,755
Lighthouse Festival Theatre Greenroom Quality Improvement	Town of Port Dover	Improvements will involve engaging with the Six Nations of The Grand River community on designing and consulting on potential public art elements, finalize a greenroom design, remove and replace existing doors, walls, and ceiling, install new plumbing and washroom fixtures, and reconfiguring the backstage to accommodate two new gender-neutral washrooms.	$85,404	$71,163	$56,943*
Dutton Dunwich Community Pool Rehabilitation	Municipality of Dutton Dunwich	Rehabilitation of the pool includes cutting the existing deck into slabs and removing them, trenching the pool deck for new plumbing lines, backfilling the new lines with sand and gravel, pouring concrete deck, sawing concrete for stress cracking, increasing visibility from guard office to pool area by adding windows, and replacing the existing entrances as well as providing more access options.	$62,793	$52,322	$41,867
Lynn Valley Trail (LVT) Rehabilitation	Norfolk County	Improve 10km of trail from Port Dover to Simcoe. Replacement of six existing wooden bridge ramps with an updated design to improve accessibility, resurfacing 6.75 kilometres with limestone screening to fill in the low and wet areas and restore the 2 metre tail width, and paving of 1.15 kilometres of the trail on the Port Dover in-town section to improve accessibility for all trail users.	$58,420	$48,678	$38,952
Opasatika Community Hub Renovation Project	Township of Opasatika	Renovation of the hub will include demolishing the existing playground structure and replacing it with a new one, installing a new accessibility lift, updating and preparing landscaping, and installing safe exercise flooring. Work will benefit all community residents, notably, under-served segments of the community.	$52,925	$44,099	$35,287
Renovation of Storage Spaces at Beachville District Museum	Beachville District Historical Society Museum	Renovations will involve the restoration of museum's stone and dirt basement to give the converted house additional structural integrity, humidity control and usable storage space. The aging collection storage space will also be renovated to ensure safer storage of artifacts and to address environmental hazards.	$39,000	$29,250	$29,250
Community Centre Rehabilitation	Township of Hudson	Rehabilitation of the centre includes removing and replacing existing shingles, flashing, eaves, and damaged roofing, and removing and replacing existing floor tiles with durable commercial grade flooring. Replacing both the existing roof and floor of the centre will allow both residents and visitors of the region to have access to a safe recreational facility.	$35,000	$29,164	$23,336

*Recipient funding is shared between the Lighthouse Festival Theatre and the Town of Port Dover.

 Associated links

Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Ontario Builds Project Map: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario

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Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Contacts: Emelyana Titarenko, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 873-355-9576, [email protected] ; Christine Bujold, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, 416-454-1782, [email protected]; Sofia Sousa-Dias, Communications Branch, Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure, 437-991-3391, [email protected]; Sherie Gladu, Healthy Living Coordinator, The Township of St. Joseph, 705-246-2625 ext. 201, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca