The Government of Canada has announced funding for a number of recreational and cultural facilities across the country.

This September, Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, revealed plans to dedicate $3.2M of the country’s Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to upgrade several provincial venues. The funds will be split between renovations and retrofits for the Nia Centre for the Arts in Toronto, the development of new programming and exhibition space at Science North in Sudbury, and key upgrades to the Toronto Dance Foundation’s Winchester Street Theatre.

“Arts and heritage organizations like the Nia Centre for the Arts, Science North, and the Toronto Dance Foundation are key to the vitality of their communities,” said Rodriguez. “By supporting the renovation of cultural infrastructure, our government is strengthening communities and helping make the arts, culture, and heritage more accessible for all Canadians.”

Elsewhere in New Brunswick, the Government of Canada is earmarking $2M from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund to support the expansion of Fredericton’s Beaverbrook Art Gallery, as well as enable improvements for the Fredericton Playhouse, the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, and the York Sunbury Historical Society (Fredericton Region Museum).

Support is also coming to British Columbia by way of more than $16.1M in funding via the Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The money will be used to develop a new community youth and cultural centre for members of the Tsawwassen First Nation, an Indigenous Cultural Centre in Lake Country, a field house for the Sportsplex in North Cowichan, and fuel renovations and retrofits to the Juan de Fuca Arena in Colwood. The T’exelcemc Indian Band will also receive portions of the funding to build a new community building in Williams Lake, and the Sumas First Nation will build a new “culturally specialized multi-purpose community and recreation facility” for on-reserve residents and other members of the public.

“Culture and recreation centres are the backbones of our communities and important focal points for activities that bring people together and help them thrive and grow,” said Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Member of Parliament for Delta, speaking on behalf of the François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “These six projects will provide people from Williams Lake to Tsawwassen with the modern, accessible and culturally adapted facilities they need to nurture healthy lifestyles, promote their cultures, learn new things and flourish for generations to come.”