The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula is receiving a federal/provincial grant to help finance a $5-million renovation at the Lion’s Head and District Community Centre and Arena.
The municipality was notified its funding application for the project was approved by the Investing In Canada Infrastructure Program.
Several renovations are planned at the arena and community centre, including creating six new dressing rooms accessible to the arena floor level, creating a new multi-purpose room suitable for community presentation and gatherings, creating a new branch library space for the Bruce County Library system, and renovating the existing washrooms/building new washrooms to improve the accessibility for people with disabilities.
The funding is broken up to be covered by different levels of government. Over $1.6 million is being contributed by the province and more than $1.9 million federally, leaving over $1.3 million to be covered by the municipality.
It was recommended council finance Northern Bruce Peninsula’s share through capital reserves.
These renovation projects are geared to improve community access and multi-purpose use of the facility and enhance the accessibility for people with disabilities.
Mayor Milt McIver says they were excited to have received funding through the infrastructure program as several years ago council decided the community centre was in need of some improvements, leading to sending in the grant applications.
He adds as they put together the application two years ago for the $5 million project, it is likely the costs have changed and could be higher than anticipated, but says they have a good start on the amount they need.
McIver says he is not sure what the adjusted cost would be, but anything over the $5 million mark, would be the municipality’s responsibility to cover.
He says they are aiming to award the tender for the work in January 2022, with the project to be completed within the next year.
“We are hoping for a summer start, spring start but we will see where that ends up, but that is what we would like to see,” says McIver. “We are well on the way to financing our portion and especially if it is at $1.3 million.”
