Deadline extended for community grants

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This article was published 19/04/2023 (1289 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Due to overwhelming interest from organizations, the Manitoba government has extended key deadlines for applications to the Arts, Culture and Sport in Community Fund.

Applications to the fund’s small capital grants and special initiatives program are now due April 24, while applications for its large capital grants program are due May 1.

“There was so much excitement from the first intake,” said Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Obby Khan. “We thought, ‘hey, let’s extend the deadline another week. Let’s give people more opportunity to make applications.’”

The fund will provide $100 million in grant money to support the arts, culture and amateur sport sectors, which all enhance Manitobans’ opportunity to access quality programming and facilities in their own community, Khan said.

Distributed over two years, funding will support small and large capital projects, special initiatives and celebrations to meet emerging community needs in a way that brings Manitobans together, he added.

Last month, the minister announced the fund would distribute $323,000 to 67 communities across the province, including $1,500 to the City of Brandon for Winter Fest and $5,000 for National Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations.

Khan recently toured several of those communities to hear about their plans for the funding.

“They were so overwhelmed with joy,” he said. “It was really nice for me to get out there and meet them and see the great work they’re doing.”

The Brandon General Museum and Archives was one place Khan visited that left a lasting impression on him. From the museum’s taxidermy displays to its vast historical records, Khan said the facility is world-class.

“It just reinforced to me, as the minister, that more work needs to be done in supporting these communities,” he said. “There are amazing gems out there.”

Keith Waterfield, administrator for the museum, said the $18,560 it received in grant funding is helping it move into the 21st century. The museum is in the process of creating more interactive exhibits featuring technology such as screens, wireless headphones and tablets. It also needs a new projector and laptop.

“Then people can watch documentaries comfortably without disturbing any other patrons,” Waterfield said. “We also want to get some tablets for our … taxidermy exhibit, where kids can interact with the tablets and see some more information about the animals that are on display.”

The museum also plans on hiring local filmmakers to make short documentaries on the history of Brandon.

“It’s a pretty big project that we’re doing,” Waterfield said.

The city is applying to the fund for Phase 3 of its outdoor sports field complex, a replacement for Park Community Centre, structural remediation and upgrades to a hangar at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, and the Peter Sawatzky Sculptures Garden at the Riverbank Discovery Centre, according to a city council report from April 13.

“As the largest city for western Manitoba and the regional centre, it’s important that the City of Brandon continue to deliver high quality services,” city manager Ron Bowles said. “The help of the province through grant funding is a fundamental part of that.”

Organizations applying for the small capital grants and special initiatives program can receive between 50 and 100 per cent of eligible expenses, depending on the project’s overall cost. The grant supports initiatives such as organizational development opportunities, training, technology, volunteer and equipment development, and opportunities that will increase participation and engagement in arts, culture or sport programming.

Groups applying for large capital projects can receive up to 50 per cent of eligible expenses over $300,000 to $5 million for projects that improve the quality, accessibility and availability of local facilities that support arts, culture and amateur sport activities and programs.

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