Westman tourism efforts receive federal funds

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This article was published 12/10/2022 (1225 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Federal funding announced Tuesday will support economic growth, development and tourism in three Westman communities.

The Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin will receive $16,606 to renovate its Pioneer Centre; $28,525 has been allocated for the Revitalize Main Street project in Russell; and Rapid City Museum in Rapid City will receive $25,493 to build a memorial garden.

Dan Vandal, federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), made the funding announcement Tuesday at Fort la Reine Museum in Portage la Prairie, 127 kilometres east of Brandon.

Rural and remote communities are crucial to the development of Canada and play a “vital role” in the country’s economic recovery, Vandal said in a press release issued Tuesday.

In total, Vandal announced approximately $11.8 million in federal investments for 24 projects in communities across rural Manitoba, which are funded through the Jobs and Growth Fund, the Business Scale-Up and Productivity program, the Canada Community Revitalization Fund and the Tourism Relief Fund, all administered by PrairiesCan in Manitoba.

The projects included in the funding represent a “wide range” of initiatives and demonstrate the “unique needs and opportunities” for rural communities and businesses, Vandal said.

“While visiting small towns across the Prairies, I’m always impressed by the revitalization, growth and economic development that’s happening, being led by the people who live and work here.”

The funding coming to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum, located 80 kilometres east of Brandon, is “very exciting,” Lise Mitchler, the acting operations manager at the museum, told the Sun.

Museum president Angie Klyn agreed. The Pioneer Centre, she said, is one of the main buildings that visitors use; it’s the location of various programs, including a hands-on education for school children about Prairie agricultural lifestyles and the Threshermen’s Reunion event.

“We would also like to expand it to include more exhibits and displays,” Klyn said.

The funding, which will partly go toward fixing the building’s roof, could also make it possible to host weddings and other private events.

“It’s the partnership with the government … that assisted us in making that possible and getting that building back to its full potential, sooner rather than later,” Klyn said.

The Municipality of Russell-Binscarth, located 183 kilometres northwest of Brandon, and Rapid City Museum, 40 kilometres north of Brandon, couldn’t immediately comment on the funding and their respective projects Tuesday.

The Jobs and Growth Fund is a $700-million federal program to support regional job creation and position local economies for longer-term growth. According to the Government of Canada’s website, under the fund, eligible businesses can receive interest-free, repayable contributions for up to 50 per cent of authorized costs, while eligible not-for-profit organizations can receive non-repayable contributions for up to 90 per cent of authorized costs.

The Business Scale-Up and Productivity program supports high-growth businesses that are seeking to improve productivity, scale up and commercialize their technology by offering interest-free, repayable funding to incorporated businesses. High-growth businesses, the federal government’s website states, include ones with a revenue increase of “at least” 20 per cent year over year.

The Tourism Relief Fund is a $500-million program that supports the tourism sector in Canada with $485 million in funding for regional priorities that is administered by Canada’s regional development agencies, including PrairiesCan, and $15 million in funding from the national priorities stream, which the government says supports the advancement of national tourism priorities under Canada’s federal tourism growth strategy.

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