WINNIPEG, MB - Mayor Sam Katz today announced a new recreation park under construction in Elmwood will be named in honour of Clara Hughes.
"Clara Hughes is an inspiration, both for her Olympic achievements and for sharing her personal experience with depression," said Mayor Katz. "The City of Winnipeg is proud to acknowledge her unparalleled athletic career and her support for youth recreation. Clara has never forgotten the community she grew up in, so I'm pleased her name will be front and centre for everyone who uses this revitalized park."
"I'm honoured that the City of Winnipeg is naming this recreational space after me," said Hughes, who this evening will be inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. "I believe that getting out and moving is important for both physical and mental health, so it's exciting to think that young people will be skateboarding, playing basketball and hockey, and even tobogganing in a park bearing my name."
Construction of the Clara Hughes Recreation Park, located at the site of the former Kelvin Community Centre, is to begin shortly, with the majority of the work scheduled for completion in the spring of 2013.
"Providing recreation options for children is so important to the community of Elmwood," said local Councillor Thomas Steen. "I know the community is strongly supportive of recognizing Clara Hughes in this way and I am pleased this announcement is happening just when we are rejuvenating the entire area."
On Oct. 25, 2012, the City of Winnipeg and the Government of Manitoba announced a $600,000 joint contribution from Building Communities Initiative II towards the redevelopment of the park. The City of Winnipeg allocated a further $100,000 to the project in order to support active, healthy lifestyles and a rejuvenated public space.