On Monday, Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, was joined by Lucy Kloosterhuis, Mayor of Oliver Paipoonge, to announce joint federal, provincial, and municipal funding for improvements to four community and recreation facilities in the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $69,000 toward these projects through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is contributing over $57,000, with the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge contributing over $46,000 toward these projects.
“What the federal and provincial governments have done is they’ve made it possible to do these improvements. Without that funding that we would receive from them, which comes to $127,287 in total, and all we have to add is the $46,294 out of our budget,” Kloosterhuis said. “After that, we get a great amount of improvement to our arena when it comes to rejuvenating the roof and siding, once the building starts to leak, it’s going to cost a lot more than it is now.”
Kloosterhuis said it is very challenging for small rural communities like Oliver Paipoonge to find resources to properly maintain these facilities.
One project is the rehabilitation and improvement of the Nor West Arena. Work on the facility includes replacing portions of the standing seam metal roof, building side panels, and replacing the floor brine pump in the ice plant. As well, the ice plant system will be evaluated to identify other components needing attention.
Not only will these improvements lengthen the facility’s lifespan, it also means that residents will be able to participate in hockey, figure skating, and ringette programs and tournaments in a safer and more energy efficient facility, Kloosterhuis added.
The funding will also benefit the community centres with repairs to the roof, exterior repairs, and replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit at the Rosslyn Hall, and replacing the fire alarm control panel in Murillo Hall. Parking lot pavement and concrete at both facilities will also be rehabilitated.
The community centres host a wide variety of events from weddings, winter fairs, exercise classes, funerals, fundraising events, dinners, and teas to name a few. Kloosterhuis said over the years, the walkways have been worn out and improvements need to be made to better serve the community.
These improvements will also allow the Murillo and Rosslyn branches of the municipal library to have accessible customer service counters installed, which will improve service by being more accessible for children and persons with physical disabilities.
“Investments in safe and modern recreation infrastructure are key to building healthy and resilient communities, while also strengthening community connections and providing valuable services,” Powlowski said. “The rehabilitation of recreation facilities in Oliver Paipoonge mean that friends and families will have safe, energy efficient, and accessible places to gather and stay fit for decades to come.”
Kloosterhuis said infrastructure is the number one item on their lists and the new infrastructure is not the only benefit for residents.
“It is saving our residents tax dollars on their property tax this year and meanwhile they are still going to have a community centre and an arena so it’s a great benefit to us who really appreciate it,” Kloosterhuis added.
