The MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound has announced $872,500 will go to 21 local groups thanks to the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Community Building Fund.
Bill Walker says the funding will be used to help them recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and deliver much-needed programs and services in our community.
Its part of over $46 million in funding to support 648 non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations through the Community Building Fund’s Operating stream.
Local organizations receiving funding include:
* Hanover Curling Club - $50,000
* Allenford Curling Club - $26,400
* Hanover Community Players - $24,800
* Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding and Family Camp Inc. – $17,300
* Billy Bishop Museum - $34,600
* The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre - $41,800
* Owen Sound Little Theatre - $100,000
* Harmony Centre Owen Sound - $18,000
* Owen Sound Agricultural Society - $45,800
* Active Lifestyles Centre Grey-Bruce - $18,200
* Blue Water Curling Club - $50,000
* Sheatre - $50,000
* Meaford Curling Club - $30,700
* El Sistema Grey Bruce (The Big Sound) - $21,600
* Georgian Bay Riding Association for Challenged Equestrians - $30,000
* Peninsula Adventure Sports Association - $32,000
* Lookup Theatre - $46,400
* Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation - $100,000
* Hanover Lions Club - $10,000
* Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association - $50,000
* Georgian Bay Folk Society - $74,900
“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has been committed to supporting those struggling the most,” said Minister MacLeod. “The Community Building Fund was designed with this in mind – to enhance the quality of life for Ontarians and support local jobs. These grants will help non-profit organizations across Ontario sustain operations– providing funding so they can adapt to the pressures of the pandemic and continue to deliver programming that is critical to the economic and social well-being of communities across the province.”
A media release from Walker said the Community Building Fund launched earlier this year as a part of the 2020 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover and is administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) through two streams: Operating and Capital. The Operating stream closed on June 1, 2021, and is providing organizations across the province with funding support for:
-Essential expenditures, such as staff salaries and fixed operational costs, including utilities, rent, lease, telephone and communication lines/services. -Equipment costs, programs, services, and adapting to public health measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as equipment for changing technology, health and safety, and personal protective equipment. -Innovation, digital and mobile web/virtual costs for the delivery of products and experiences.
“COVID-19 has been a challenge for so many of our not-for-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations, and I am proud that our government is supporting their recovery though the Community Building Fund,” said MPP Walker. “These organizations are the bedrock of our communities. By helping them weather the storm, we are ensuring that residents across Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and Ontario will have the opportunity to reconnect with the many things that make this community special.”