Governments of Canada and Manitoba Celebrate Grand Opening of MTS Iceplex
– – –New Arena and Training Centre a Big Boost for Local Hockey
Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 24, 2010 — Minor hockey in the city of Winnipeg is getting a big boost today with the grand opening of the new MTS Iceplex and Hockey Canada Centre of Excellence.
The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba and the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State for Democratic Reform, were joined by Jim Ludlow, President & CEO, True North Sports & Entertainment, to celebrate the opening of the MTS Iceplex and Hockey Canada Centre of Excellence.
“Winter sports are important to Manitobans. They are important to kids and families at the community level, they are important to our elite amateur athletes competing for titles in events like hockey and speedskating, and they are important to our professional hockey players,” Premier Selinger said. “The Iceplex will provide a world-class facility for athletes at all levels can enjoy together.”
“Amateur hockey plays an important role in the lives of many Canadians, young and old,” said Minister Fletcher. “The Government of Canada is proud to have supported the MTS Iceplex which will not only benefit the local economy but enrich the lives of, and create opportunities for countless budding athletes. Our Government is delivering on our commitment to support infrastructure investments that help create jobs, stimulate the economy and build sustainable communities.”
“True North Sport & Entertainment is truly excited about the opening of the MTS Iceplex,” said Mr. Ludlow. “This facility is once again a tremendous example of a private-public partnership between the Government of Canada, the province of Manitoba, and True North that will benefit hockey players of all skill levels and ages in our community.”
The new MTS Iceplex and Hockey Canada Centre of Excellence can provide up to 20,000 hoursof ice time per year to serve the minor league hockey community. The 172,000-square-foot centre features four NHL-sized ice surfaces, 22 dressing rooms, high performance off-ice training facilities, seminar rooms, concessions, restaurant, and lounge operations.
The Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba provided over $11.7 million in joint funding under the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund to support key components of the initiative that support the development of amateur athletes, and also provide access to the public at large. True North Sports & Entertainment is also providing $14.9 million in funding towards the overall initiative.
The Government of Canada is working closely with the Government of Manitoba to ensure that infrastructure funds are spent on priorities throughout the Province. Since 2007, Canada and Manitoba have agreed to share over $375 million in total eligible costs for initiatives under the PT Base Fund, with $175 million from the Government of Canada.
Today’s announcement continues the important steps the Province of Manitoba is taking to support economic growth by investing $1.8 billion this year, into infrastructure to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and renew the province’s roads, schools, health facilities, and water treatment facilities.
Across all of its funds, Infrastructure Canada has now committed approximately $10.2 billion toward over 6,100 infrastructure initiatives as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. When combined with the contributions of funding partners, there is close to $30.5 billion committed to infrastructure initiatives across the country.
To learn more about Manitoba’s infrastructure projects, please visit www.infrastructure.mb.ca.
For further information, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca. To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the governments of Canada and Manitoba and True North Sports & Entertainment.