WINNIPEG, MB, July 2, 2024
/CNW/ - The Neeginan Centre is getting infrastructure upgrades
after an investment of more than $21.1
million from the federal government.
This was announced by Minister Dan
Vandal and Kevin Chief, Neeginan Centre Board Member.
The Neeginan Centre is an important hub in downtown Winnipeg that provides programs and services
to support the educational, social, and economic needs of
Indigenous Peoples in the community. Incorporated in 1990, this
non-profit organization operates in the historic Canadian Pacific
Railway Station located at Higgins and Main.
Funding will support improvements to this 100-year old heritage
building to address safety, accessibility, and environmental
concerns. This work will include upgrades to the building's
envelope, lighting, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
systems, resulting in energy savings and the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions. These efforts will help ensure that the
centre can keep serving Indigenous communities for generations
to come.
Quotes
"Having dedicated and permanent spaces to share culture is a key
component of fostering strong Indigenous identities. The Neeginan
Centre has long served as a gathering place for people to learn,
share knowledge, and celebrate Indigenous heritage, and we couldn't
be prouder of this investment towards energy-efficient improvements
to this architectural gem. We will continue working with partners
to support meaningful infrastructure investments with a net-zero
future and reconciliation at the forefront."
The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs,
PrairiesCan and CanNor, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser,
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
"Thirty-two years ago, a group of leaders of not-for-profit
Indigenous organizations and their stakeholders, took an
extraordinary risk to restore and renovate Winnipeg's historic Canadian Pacific Railway
Station into a one-stop centre where the organizations could
deliver services to their Indigenous clients in a much more
efficient and coordinated manner - and - from a 'place of their
own.' From the outset this building has benefited from the
joint efforts, cooperation, and friendship between Indigenous and
non-indigenous peoples who continue to make the Centre a better
place to serve our communities. The GICB funding being a great
example.
It is said a 'house is not a home until it has experienced a
birth, a marriage and a death.' No marriage can be stronger. In the
process of working together we have created new and lasting
initiatives that have led to other developments like the welding,
technical, and aerospace programs and spaces, as well as the
student housing and child care facilities. Yes, these initiatives
are the many 'children' that have born and nurtured here. As
important though, are ´deaths' of many of the stereotypical
perceptions of Indigenous people prior to the advent of the
Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg ten
days before Christmas 1992. Today we are in Neeginan Centre - Our
Place. Truly, it is now a genuine home. It has been, is and may it
always be a place worthy of our continued support and
investment."
Mr. William (Bill) Shead,
Chairperson of the Neeginan Centre Board of Directors
Quick Facts
- The federal government is investing $21,163,956 in this project through the
Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.
- These improvements are expected to reduce the facility's energy
consumption by an estimated 29.05% and greenhouse gas emissions by
225.18 tonnes annually.
- The GICB program was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy
Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's
first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing
energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate
change.
- The program launched in 2021 with an initial investment of
$1.5 billion over five years towards
green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades.
- Budget 2024 announced an additional $500
million to support more projects through GICB until
2029.
- At least 10% of funding is allocated to projects serving First
Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous
populations in urban centres.
- On December 18, 2023, the federal
government launched the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy,
which highlights the need for a collaborative, region-specific
approach to sustainability, focusing on strengthening the
coordination of federal programs, and initiatives with significant
investments. This Framework is a first step in a journey that will
bring together multiple stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal
department that diversifies the economy across the Canadian
prairies, has dedicated $100 million
over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas
identified by Prairie stakeholders to build a stronger, more
sustainable, and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and
Canada.
- Infrastructure Canada is
supporting the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to
encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities,
leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the
Prairies that better meet their needs.
Associated links
Green and Inclusive Community Buildings
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gicb-bcvi/index-eng.html
Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html
Federal infrastructure investments in Manitoba
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/community-infra-collectivite-eng.html
Building a Green Prairie Economy Act
https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.88/page-1.html
Building a Green Prairie Economy
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/green-prairie-economy.html
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada