June 28, 2022
Manitoba Government Provides Nearly $500,000 to Support Additional Building Sustainable Communities Program Projects
The Manitoba government is supporting three more community projects with an additional investment of nearly $500,000 from the Building Sustainable Communities (BSC) program, Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke announced today.
“Locally driven community development projects support sustainable, resilient communities by encouraging economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for their residents,” said Clarke. “Our government is committed to supporting initiatives that directly respond to local needs, especially as communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Khalsa Diwan Society is receiving up to $300,000 in capital funding to support its facility upgrade project. The project will support renovating its gathering space, expanding the kitchen, developing community activity space and improving energy efficiency.
“The building was in need of upgrades for many years, but due to the compounding effects of COVID-19 and other factors, the upgrades were becoming beyond reach until we found out about this program,” said Sukhjit Bhandal, a long-time member of the Khalsa Diwan Society. “This funding will go a long way toward meeting the needs of thousands of people in the community for many, many years to come. This program forges a great partnership between our community organization and the government.”
Two other projects are also receiving grants from the additional BSC funding. The Town of Arborg is receiving up to $157,000 to support its community training and meeting centre project to enhance meeting space and programming activities. The Portage Pickleball Club is receiving up to $25,000 to support its multipurpose court upgrades project, which will repair and reconfigure its courts.
With this additional investment, the 2022-23 BSC program has increased to nearly $26 million to support 430 community development projects across Manitoba, noted the minister.
Launched in 2019, the BSC program offers municipalities and non-profit organizations a streamlined process to apply for community grants for planning activities, organizational capacity-building projects, equipment costs, capital infrastructure and other local or regional initiatives that enhance the sustainability of communities.
Projects can receive up to 50 per cent toward eligible costs, with a maximum grant of $75,000. The BSC program was expanded in 2021-22 to cover up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for larger-scale capital projects, with a maximum grant of $300,000. Approved projects, except for planning activities, are required to contribute a minimum of 10 per cent from non-government sources.
For more information on the BSC program, visit www.gov.mb.ca/grants/grant-name.html#b.
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