January 28, 2015
Manitoba Government Announces Support for Groups Offering Community, Social Connections to Central Winnipeg Residents
Various groups in Winnipeg’s central area have received support to further improve services to the community, Housing and Community Development Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said today, as she announced $148,000 in funding from Neighbourhoods Alive!.
“These local groups are enhancing quality of life and helping build a strong sense of community,” said Minister Irvin-Ross. “Manitoba is investing in the future with a vision of strong, healthy communities where individuals and families thrive. By working together with community partners, we are building, supporting and revitalizing neighbourhoods.”
The support includes:
- Artbeat Studio – $35,000 to launch Central Park Creative Spirit, which will support art activities for people living around Central Park;
- Central Neighbourhoods Development Corporation – $38,579 toward ‘Feet on the Street’, which delivers safety-related programs for residents in partnership with area schools, businesses and resident groups;
- Frame Projects – $11,794 to organize garden workshops and community get-togethers for local citizens and $8,850 for ‘Winter Connections’, a program to benefit low-income families;
- Mosaic, Newcomer Family Resource Network – $31,651 to provide parenting classes for newcomers;
- University of Winnipeg, Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre – $12,500 to offer ‘Paving The Way’, an after-school recreation, education and cultural program for Aboriginal youth and families; and
- Central Neighbourhoods Renewal Initiative – $10,000 to assist with capacity building.
“We are thrilled to launch our new program Central Park: Ignite Your Creative Spirit! where a co-ordinator will oversee the inclusion of performance art and visual art in public spaces and at local events as a means of drawing positive attention to the rich cultural diversity found in the Central Park area,” said Lucille Bart, executive director, Artbeat Studio Inc.
Neighbourhoods Alive! is the Manitoba government’s long-term, community-based, social and economic development strategy that recognizes building healthy neighbourhoods requires more than an investment in bricks and mortar.
Neighbourhoods Alive! supports and encourages community-driven revitalization efforts in designated neighbourhoods across the province in a number of key areas including:
- employment and training,
- education and recreation,
- safety and crime prevention, and
- housing and physical improvements.
Neighbourhoods Alive! provides community organizations in designated areas with support to revitalize their neighbourhoods. This strategy recognizes that often the best ideas for neighbourhood revitalization come from the community itself and aims to support community ideas and goals with funding and planning assistance.
More information on Neighbourhoods Alive! is available at www.gov.mb.ca/housing/neighbourhoods/index.html.
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