Fredericton, New Brunswick, October 15, 2011 – The YMCA has a new home inFredericton thanks to the construction of a new 60,000 square foot facility in the heart of the city. The new YMCA includes a wellness centre, gymnasium, squash courts, community rooms, a child development centre, a 25 metre lap pool, and an instructional warm water pool.
The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, along with the Honourable David Alward, Premier of New Brunswick, His Worship Brad Woodside, Mayor of Fredericton and David Rioux, President of the YMCA of Fredericton, joined together today to celebrate the official opening of this important institution.
“Fredericton’s new YMCA is a place to work, a place to play and a place for the community to gather,” said Minister Ashfield. “The Government of Canada is proud to have supported this important project that will enrich and enhance the lives of local families for years to come.”
“Empowering New Brunswickers to live more actively is vital to growing healthier communities and a stronger province,” said Premier Alward. “Our government’s participation in the construction of the Fredericton YMCA is an investment in this region’s wellness, now and in the future.”
Funding for this facility was originally announced on September 10, 2009, with the Government of Canadaproviding up to $5.275 million towards the project from the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. The YMCA financed the remaining costs of the project. TheProvince ofNew Brunswick has sold a 6.5 acre parcel of land, valued at $2.5 million, for $1 to the YMCA for the project. The total eligible cost of the project is $15.8 million.
“We look forward to welcoming theFrederictoncommunity to our new Y in the months and years ahead,” said David Rioux. “Thanks to the partnership of all three levels of government in concert with over 700 community donors, we are now able to offer a state of the art facility that will make a valuable contribution to the wellness, recreational and early childhood infrastructure of our community for decades to come.”
Since the original funding announcement in September 2009, the Fredericton City Council added an additional grant of $50,000 per year for the next 5 years, for a total of $250,000 for the YMCA.
“The City ofFrederictonis pleased to be supporting the new YMCA,” said Mayor Woodside. “The institution certainly plays an integral role in the cultural fabric of our community.”
The Government of Canada’s Infrastructure Stimulus Fund is supporting over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country. The Government of Canada has committed over $90 million in funding under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund to 60 projects acrossNew Brunswick.
CanadaandNew Brunswickare working together to create jobs and boost the economy, while making significant funding contributions that help communities improve their infrastructure.
For more information, please visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Contacts:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office ofCanada’s Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Bruce Macfarlane
Regional Development Corporation
506-444-4606
InfrastructureCanada
613-948-1148 or
Toll free 1-877-250-7154
