This morning Anthony Rota, the member of parliament for Nipissing-Temiskaming, announced the FedNor coffers have opened, with $2.4 million allocated for Temiskaming Shores, Bonfield, Powassan and Nipissing.
The City of Temiskaming Shores is receiving $500,000 “to revitalize” the Don Shepherdson Memorial Arena. Improving accessibility, increasing the facility’s energy efficiency, and reducing the “arena’s carbon footprint” are all on the agenda, which will “extend the life of this important community asset.”
See: For the North by the North: FedNor finally a standalone agency
Further improvements include providing a fully accessible main entrance and concession counter, renovating washrooms, adding a new foyer, LED lighting, and including four accessible viewing spaces. New sensors will also be installed to monitor the air quality in the arena, and a new video display board will also be ordered.
The upgrades “will make the facility more energy efficient and sustainable for families to enjoy for many years to come,” said Carman Kidd, the mayor of Temiskaming Shores.
Powassan is also receiving $499,000 to help the municipality revitalize its main community park in the downtown core. New playground equipment will be installed on the site, and funds will also go to upgrade municipal infrastructure, including making the recreation centre and curling club fully accessible.
“These funds will be an important first step to create a more accessible and safer playground,” Powassan’s Mayor Peter McIsaac said.
Funds have also been allocated to Bonfield to contribute to their waterfront improvements at Kaibuskong and Centennial Parks. Part of their redevelopment master plan includes installing a splash-pad, and the FedNor funds will bolster a Northern Ontario Heritage Fund grant they already received for the project.
See: Grant money in pocket, Bonfield plans to make a splash
“It’s also going to help the local economy,” Mayor Randy McLaren said, “as we plan to use local contractors for most of the work.”
The Township of Nipissing received $62,720 to purchase playground equipment at Heritage Park. “This project will help transform a green space into a community gathering spot,” explained Mayor Tom Piper.
“These projects are so important,” Rota said, “and important to our future as well.”
Another $852,500 will go to the City of Temiskaming Shores to set up a pavilion at the 2022 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada International Convention in Toronto this June 13 to 15. These funds will also allow the city to exhibit at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum convention in Vancouver from May 1 to 4.
“Northern Ontario’s mining sector is a key economic driver,” Rota said, “helping to fuel sustainable growth and job creation” within the region. “This is an investment to maximize opportunities for businesses in the mining sector in Nipissing-Temiskaming.”
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
