Celebrating Ontario’s 150th Anniversary with Better Community Spaces
Province Upgrading and Renovating Hundreds of Local Facilities Across Ontario
Ontario is celebrating its 150th anniversary as a province by improving and renovating over 200 sports facilities, parks, seniors centres, and other community spaces, bringing positive change to communities and families across the province.
Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, made the announcement today at Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka in Barrie, an organization that provides free social and emotional support for people feeling the impact of cancer. Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka is receiving $24,000 through the Ontario150 Community Capital Program to make vital infrastructure improvements that will a make a difference in the lives of 2,000 people who benefit from the organization’s important services.
The Ontario150 Community Capital Program will help not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and Indigenous communities renovate, repair and retrofit existing community and cultural infrastructure. This support will be used to increase accessibility, improve safety and maximize community use of public spaces.
In celebration of Ontario’s 150th anniversary, the province has also released a new recording of A Place to Stand (Ontario Song), the province's unofficial anthem. The 50-year-old song has been refreshed to instil a sense of pride and belonging for all.
Investing in local communities for Ontario's 150th anniversary is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.
QUOTES
“The Ontario150 Community Capital Program will positively impact people right across the province by improving public spaces like parks and youth centres. Our investments in these important projects will build a strong social, cultural and economic legacy for our communities for years to come.”
— Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
“The Ontario150 Community Capital Program is both a celebration of the 150th anniversary of our wonderful province, and Ontarians themselves, who make this such a great place to live. I am excited to celebrate some of the tangible benefits that this program will deliver all over Ontario, but particularly here in Barrie. The legacy of this program, and Ontario’s 150th anniversary, will be in the thousands of lives across Simcoe County and Muskoka that will be helped by Gilda’s Club and their new Clubhouse in Barrie.”
— Ann Hoggarth, MPP for Barrie
“In order to build something lasting, you have to start with a strong foundation. Through the Ontario150 Community Capital Program, the Ontario Trillium Foundation is celebrating the good work done in communities by ensuring they have the infrastructure they need to continue making Ontario a healthy and vibrant place to live. We are proud to deliver this key program on behalf of the Government of Ontario to mark a major landmark in the history and fabric of our province, helping services in communities reach their next milestones.”
— Janet Yale, Board Chair at the Ontario Trillium Foundation
“Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka is grateful to have been selected as a recipient of an Ontario150 Community Capital grant. The Clubhouse is the hub through which we are able to provide our program of cancer support, free of charge, to all in our community whose lives have been touched by cancer. Only with the awarding of this generous grant are we able to address some urgent physical building needs in our Clubhouse. This grant will cover these burdensome expenses and allow Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka to remain focused in delivering on its vision, ensuring no one faces cancer alone.”
— Kristen Dawson, CEO and Program Manager, Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario is investing $25 million in the Ontario150 Community Capital Program to support 203 capital projects.
- In total, these investments are expected to result in almost 1.4 million square feet of renovated community space and more than 36,000 hours of additional availability for physical activity and arts programming.
- Ontario is recognizing the historical significance of 2017 with Ontario150, a year-long commemoration that will honour Ontario's past, showcase the present and inspire future generations.
- The Ontario150 Community Capital Program is one of three community-based Ontario150 grant programs that will promote community engagement, empower young people and contribute to economic growth.
- The Ontario150 Community Capital Program is administered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s largest granting foundations.
- The Ontario Trillium Foundation uses research to guide decision-making and relies on community-based volunteers across Ontario to review applications and guide granting decisions.
LEARN MORE
Community Capital Program recipients
Read more about how the province is celebrating this anniversary