WINNIPEG, MB – Additional capital support proposed in the preliminary 2019 budgets allow community centres to take centre stage by more than doubling funding available through the Community Centre Renovation Grant Program (CCRGP).
“Community centres are at the heart of where we come together as neighbours and friends,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “Building and preparing Winnipeg today for a population growing toward one million people strong requires additional investment to help existing community centres keep pace with repairs and upgrades necessary to keep their doors open and the heat on.”
The CCRGP was established in 2012. It provides dedicated funding to support renovation projects for city-owned, board-run community centres. Access to this funding is open to all General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres (GCWCC).
The 2019 preliminary budgets propose to more than double the funding available through the CCRGP beginning this year from $965,000 to $2 million. The preliminary budgets also recommend that the program be evaluated over the coming year with consideration given to increasing the maximum funding threshold per project from $50,000 to $100,000 allowing community centres flexibility to undertake projects larger in scope.
The City of Winnipeg’s Asset Management Plan outlines that the infrastructure deficit within Community Services has increased significantly over the last ten years. In 2009, the department deficit totaled $446 million and represented approximately six percent of the city’s overall deficit. In 2018, this infrastructure deficit increased to $843 million representing 12 percent of the city’s overall deficit.
Community centres, as an asset class within Community Services, represent the largest share of the infrastructure deficit of all classes within the department at 32 percent or $274 million.
There are 63 community centres across Winnipeg. The majority of Winnipeg community centres were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily to support outdoor sports such as hockey, baseball, and soccer.
Over 17,000 people volunteer annually at community centres representing over one million volunteer hours.