Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, announced over $33.4 million in funding for two green infrastructure projects in Thunder Bay.
Among the projects announced today is the relocation of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery to the shore of Lake Superior on Thunder Bay’s waterfront. This new net-zero facility will include large, flexible spaces to host events and art exhibitions, classrooms and studios for creative learning and greater opportunities to experience and learn about art. It will also include more space to house the gallery’s important collection of contemporary art by Indigenous and Northwestern Ontario artists.
Funding will also support the rehabilitation of a former long-term care home into the Matawa Training and Wellness Centre. This new centre will include several classrooms, multi-use training areas, individual and family transition units, a health clinic, and a cultural room with a stage, among other additions. Once complete, the Matawa Training and Wellness Centre will ensure that over 10,000 Indigenous peoples have access to education, health, social services and cultural programming in Northern Ontario. Retrofits to the existing structure will reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Government of Canada is investing over $49.5 million towards these projects.
