Ontario Helping Non-Profits in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Respond to the Challenges of COVID-19 

Funding for upgrades to sport and recreation facilities will help keep communities safe once public health measures lifted 

CORNWALL ― The Ontario government is providing close to $46 million to support 186 municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profit tourism, culture, sport and recreation organizations experiencing significant pressures due to COVID-19, including five organizations in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. 

Funding through the Community Building Fund’s capital stream will help them complete much-needed sport and recreation facility infrastructure repairs – including retrofits and rehabilitation to meet COVID-19 public health requirements – to ensure they can continue to provide programs and services vital to their communities once public health measures to combat the growing surge of the Omicron variant are lifted. 

Local projects are:  

Township of South Stormont received $305,000 to renovate the township’s recreational trail to improve its safety and accessibility for community members. 

Lancaster & District Curling Club has been provided $83,300 to rebuild the deteriorated south foundation wall of the ice shed to ensure the safety and longevity of the curling club. 

Township of North Stormont has been given $76,600 to install a ventilation system and a heated accessible washroom in the Crysler Dome, providing safe year-round recreational use for community members. 

Township of South Glengarry received $23,400 to install two new bocce courts at Kenneth Barton Memorial Park, enhancing the accessibility and variety of recreational programming. 

Friends of the Summerstown Trails has been awarded $17,900 to renovate and retrofit a school portable to become a new visitor center and hub for operations, allowing them to grow programming. 

“Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has supported those struggling the most,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “These capital grants will help municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profit organizations make repairs or upgrades needed to their sport and recreation facilities to adapt to the pressures of the pandemic so they can continue to deliver programming critical to the economic and social well-being of communities across the province once their doors reopen.” 

In total, the province’s Community Building Fund is investing $105 million to support community arts and culture, heritage, tourism, sport and recreation organizations that are experiencing significant financial pressures due to COVID-19. 

The fund is administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) through two streams: Operating and Capital. The Capital stream, which closed on September 29, 2021, is providing organizations across the province with support for: 

Construction or renovation expenses, such as materials, labour for construction and/or installation. Fixed equipment costs, such as large-scale fixed equipment for installation (examples include heating systems, exhaust and air conditioning systems). Developmental costs or project management costs. 

“COVID-19 has been a challenge for so many 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 Jim McDonell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. 

“These upgrades are important as they contribute to the well-being of our communities. By helping these organizations weather the storm, we are ensuring people across Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry will have the opportunity to safely reconnect with the many things that make this community special.” 

“Since its launch, Ontario has provided 834 Community Building Fund grants to community organizations, municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profit sport and recreation organizations – enhancing the quality of life for people across the province and supporting local jobs,” said Minister MacLeod. 

For a full list of Community Building Fund: Capital stream recipients, visit the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s website.