Hamilton, Ontario, November 7, 2011 – Government representatives joined board members, staff and donors of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington today to celebrate recent renovations to their Hamilton office.
The Hamilton office houses administrative and recreational space for the organization. Improvements to the wiring, land grading, and the installation of a fire suppression system have brought the building up to code. The building's roof and windows were replaced, insulation added, and ceilings lowered, to improve energy efficiency and increase its overall safety.
"The Big Brothers Big Sisters association holds a special place in the hearts of many children and families across Canada,"
said David Sweet, Member of Parliament for Hamilton, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. "Our government is proud of its contribution to this important project. Thanks to Canada's Economic Action Plan, these renovations will help Big Brothers and Sisters to continue to enrich the lives of children and families in the Hamilton and Burlington region."
"Our government's support for renovations to this facility will ensure that children and youth in the Hamilton and Burlington area will have continued access to quality support and community programming,"
said the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Transportation. "Through strategic investments like this, our government is creating jobs and making a real difference for people in this community."
"We are absolutely delighted with the final product of building improvements made possible through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund,"
said Big Brothers Big Sisters Executive Director, Marianne Noakes. "None of this would have been possible without the project funding and the support we have received from our local community. The children in our program, our volunteers and our staff now have a safe place to play and work in."
The governments of Canada and Ontario are each contributing up to $416,250 toward the upgrades. Through a combination of donations and fundraising efforts, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington contributed the balance of the total eligible project cost of $1.25 million.
Federal support for this project comes from the Government of Canada's Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which has resulted in over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country.
This project supports Building Together, Ontario's long-term infrastructure plan to repair, rebuild and renew the province's roads and highways, bridges, public transit, schools and postsecondary institutions, hospitals and courthouses. Since 2003, the Government of Ontario has created and supported 600,000 jobs and invested $62 billion in infrastructure. Through Building Together, Ontario will continue to make significant investments in public infrastructure, starting with an investment of more than $35 billion over the next three years.
For additional information about investments in infrastructure, visit infrastructure.gc.ca.
For further information about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.
To download a short broadcast-quality video highlighting a few of the many successful infrastructure projects across Canada, visit infrastructure.gc.ca/video/video-eng.html.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
Contacts:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Marianne Noakes
Executive Director
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hamilton and Burlington
905-525-3860 extension 312
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Or toll-free 1-877-250-7154
