Canadian communities flourish when they have safe, welcoming public spaces where people can come together to connect, engage, and participate in recreational programs and activities. By investing in our infrastructure, we not only stimulate economies and create jobs - we build communities that attract people and businesses and make them want to stay.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, and Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, announced total federal contributions of $355,000 for the Aberdeen Cultural Centre and $250,000 for la Fondation de l'école l'Odyssée.
The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA and the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.
The Province of New Brunswick is also contributing $450,000 to la Fondation de l'école l'Odyssée and $55,000 to the Aberdeen Cultural Centre through the Regional Development Corporation.
The support for the Aberdeen Cultural Centre will help improve the facilities and significantly increase its annual programming. Enhancements will also reduce the centre's heating costs by 25 per cent. Infrastructure improvements, including the installation of a new ramp, will make the facility more accessible to the public, increase participation in cultural events and generate revenue that will help the cultural centre continue to expand programming and services to the community.
La Fondation de l'école L'Odyssée is building a multi-functional outdoor synthetic field to provide a safe, controlled environment for the many local sports teams in the Greater Moncton community to use during their seasons. Once completed, it will host national sports tournaments, cultural shows and other large-scale events, and the economic spin-offs from participants and spectators will support growth for the entire region.
In March, the Public Policy Forum published a report that confirms that Atlantic Canada's economy is bustling and the region is poised for exponential growth. Today's announcement highlights how the Government of Canada is contributing to this momentum - strengthening our communities, creating new opportunities, and setting the stage for a strong, sustainable future.
