Government of Canada and Manitoba stimulus dollars at work
Winnipeg, Manitoba – The United Way of Winnipeg has moved into a new downtown home which will help fulfill its mission of creating opportunities for a better life for everyone. The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba, and the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Provencher, were present at the grand opening today, along with Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz and United Way of Winnipeg 2010 Board of Trustees Chair, Allan Fineblit.
This project involved the construction of a new three-storey 20,000-square-foot building on Main Street between Pacific and Alexander Avenues. The second and third floors of the new building will house agency staff, while the main floor will accommodate professional development, training and volunteer opportunities in the non-profit sector.
“The United Way of Winnipeg has served our community for nearly half a century, and the Government of Manitoba is honoured to have been able to assist this outstanding organization move to a new, green location that puts them closer to their partner agencies, which provide essential social services to Winnipeggers,” said Premier Selinger.
“The Government of Canada is proud to have partnered with United Way and the Government of Manitoba to get this new facility built,” said Minister Toews. “The completion of an important project such as this will strengthen this community, contribute to revitalizing the downtown core and have a lasting impact on the quality of life of people in the region.”
This project was made possible thanks to funding from the federal and provincial governments of $3.33 million each, under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The total eligible project cost was $10 million dollars, with United Way of Winnipeg providing the remainder of the funding through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations. The City of Winnipeg invested an additional $200,000 outside of the eligible project costs under ISF.
“As Mayor, I am proud the City of Winnipeg has committed $200,000 to this exciting new downtown home for the United Way Winnipeg so they can continue to positively impact numerous lives of citizens from the heart of our city and significantly contribute to the revitalization of our downtown,” said Mayor Katz.
“United Way’s new building embodies Winnipeggers’ commitment to each other, our city, our environment and our future. We are extremely proud and grateful that absolutely no donations to the annual campaign have or ever will be used to fund construction or land costs thanks to the vision, leadership and generosity of the Government of Canada, Province of Manitoba, City of Winnipeg and a small group of long-time loyal friends and supporters. Thank you for giving Winnipeggers a new space to connect and collaborate, and a place where community spirit and social innovation can come together to create lasting change and better lives,” said Mr. Fineblit.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is providing funding to close to 4,000 infrastructure projects across the country.
Canada and Manitoba are working together to create jobs and boost the economy, while making significant investments that help communities improve their infrastructure. Both governments have agreed to work together to ensure that these funds are delivered quickly and efficiently.
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The provincial government is distributing this news release on behalf of the governments of Canada, Manitoba and Winnipeg and the United Way of Winnipeg.
2 comments:
It would be nice if this building will be open to community use for such things as workshops, cultural events etc. because there are many small organizations that do not have access to places free of charge to hold events.
Less on bricks and mortars and more on substantive programming please. Lets use donated dollars wisely.
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