April 11, 2015– Kelowna, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development Canada
The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development, accompanied by the Honourable Ron Cannan, Member for Parliament for Kelowna–Lake Country, announced funding in the amount of $50,000 through the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) to the City of Kelowna for its Ben Lee Park Playground Project.
Ben Lee Park is a popular and highly used city-wide park in the Rutland neighbourhood of Kelowna. The park includes over 18 acres of amenities and, through this funding, the City of Kelowna was able to undertake renovations to the Ben Lee playground to make it accessible to persons with disabilities.
There is currently an EAF call for proposals open, and eligible organizations are encouraged to apply for funding for projects that will help improve accessibility in community facilities across Canada. The deadline for submissions is April 27, 2015. Proposals can involve a wide variety of projects; however, priority will be given to projects that enhance access for children with disabilities (e.g. outdoor playgrounds), veterans with disabilities or seniors with disabilities.
In addition to this, Minister Bergen reiterated the Government’s commitment to put money back in the pockets of hard-working Canadian families. The commitment includes the proposed enhancements to the Universal Child Care Benefit, which would increase to almost $2,000 per year for every child under the age of 6, and $720 for every child aged 6 through 17. The new benefit amounts would be retroactive to January 1, 2015, and reflected in monthly payments to recipients in July 2015.
“Our Government remains committed to supporting Canadians and their families. I encourage organizations to take this opportunity to submit their proposals for projects to increase accessibility, in particular those for children, such as playgrounds and recreational facilities.”
– The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development and Member of Parliament for Portage–Lisgar
“Ben Lee Park is an excellent example of the Enabling Accessibility Fund at work. Through programs such as this, our Government is making our shared spaces more accessible and inclusive for all individuals, which strengthens our communities and fosters productivity. I’m pleased to see communities nationwide benefitting from the EAF program.”
– The Honourable Ron Cannan, Member of Parliament for Kelowna–Lake Country
“Accessibility is one of our cornerstones. It’s important that people of all abilities can participate in our community and enjoy being outdoors. This playground has been designed specifically for those with specials needs in mind.”
– His Worship Colin Basran, Mayor of Kelowna
Austin Jean
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Office of the Minister of State for Social Development
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Employment and Social Development Canada
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The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) was originally announced in 2007 as a three-year, $45-million program to support community-based projects across Canada. Economic Action Plan 2013 extended the EAF on an ongoing basis at $15 million per year to continue to help improve communities and workplaces accessibility for Canadians with disabilities.
Since the first call for proposals in 2008, over 1,800 projects have been awarded funding to improve accessibility in Canadian communities and workplaces.
The community accessibility stream of the Enabling Accessibility Fund provides funding to eligible recipients for capital cost projects that improve accessibility. To be considered eligible for funding, projects must be directly related to removing barriers and increasing accessibility for people with disabilities in Canadian communities. All projects must also respond to funding priorities identified during the present call for proposals, including support from their community.
For further information on how to submit proposals under the current call for community-based projects, please visit: www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/disability/eaf/
