May 26, 2014
Province Announces Hometown Manitoba Grants to Help Beautify Community Spaces
– – –More than $4 Million Invested in Community Improvement Grants Since 2004: Minister Kostyshyn
Manitoba’s community places will be revitalized and renewed through the annual Hometown Manitoba grant program, which will allocate $225,000 to 103 projects across the province this year, Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
“We are all proud of what makes our communities beautiful, unique and welcoming,” said Minister Kostyshyn. “The Hometown Manitoba program has provided money to more than 2,000 projects in the past 10 years. More importantly, it has ensured community leaders have had resources to bring their ideas and projects to life, to the benefit of residents and visitors alike.”
The Hometown Manitoba program provides annual funding in three categories. The Meeting Places grant provides funding to enhance main street areas and public places like parks, senior and youth centres or museums. The Main Street Enhancements grant helps improve building exteriors or install new signage to highlight the community’s theme or unique identity. The Tree Planting grant supports greening projects in parks, golf courses or community entrances and requires all trees to be purchased from a Manitoba-based nursery.
Some of the projects approved this year include:
- installing a new $5,000 sun shelter over existing bleachers at the rodeo and fair grounds – Arborg and District Agricultural Society;
- placing a new welcome sign on PTH 6 with a $1,000 grant – the Eriksdale Community Development Corporation;
- creating a lakefront park and picnic area with a $5,000 grant – the Matheson Island Community Council; and
- planting trees in the park surrounding St. Laurent’s Welcome Centre with a $3,400 grant – the Rural Municipality of St. Laurent.
Hometown Manitoba was launched in 2004. Since then, the Manitoba government has approved more than $4 million in grants to support 2,238 projects. Contributions from businesses and communities resulted in another $25 million invested in these important projects since the program began, Minister Kostyshyn said.
Information about the Hometown Manitoba program is available at www.manitoba.ca/agriculture under Rural Communities. All grant applicants will be advised about the status of their applications in the coming weeks and a list of all approved projects will be posted online.
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