Government Partnership Breaks Ground on New Food Distribution Centre

June 24, 2010

Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 24, 2010 -The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and the Honourable Steve Ashton, Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, together with David Northcott, Executive Director, Winnipeg Harvest, today celebrated the official groundbreaking of the new Winnipeg Harvest Community Food Distribution and Training Centre in Winnipeg.

The Winnipeg Harvest expansion will help this organization provide more services to families in need," said Minister Toews. "I'm pleased that Canada's Economic Action Plan is helping to make this project become a reality, strengthening the community and providing much-needed economic stimulus."

"We are pleased to support this expansion project, which will help an organization that otherwise relies on donations and volunteers to support families in need in Manitoba," said Minister Ashton.

"We want to do better! Better skills and life training, and better sharing of food throughout Manitoba, are the foundation for a future without poverty in our province,'' said Mr. Northcott. "We would like to thank the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba for helping to provide the funds we need to fight hunger and feed hope."

One of three attached buildings that make up the current Winnipeg Harvest facility has been demolished to make way for a new two-story building. This structure will accommodate an expanded distribution centre, a new training centre and offices. This new addition, and renewal of the existing facility, will increase warehouse space by 30% and provide 50% more training facilities. When complete, the facility will be able to better accommodate the growing number of hungry people in Manitoba, and better educate and train them for employment. The project was initiated in March 2010 and is estimated to be completed early in the new year.

The total eligible cost of the project is $5 million. The federal and provincial governments are each providing up to $1.6 million each, one-third of the total eligible project costs. The proponent is contributing the remaining funding for the $6.5 million project.

Federal support for this project is provided through the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, delivered by Infrastructure Canada. This key component of Canada's Economic Action Plan invests in infrastructure projects across Canada to stimulate economic activity, create jobs and enhance communities.

Today's celebration highlights important steps that the Province of Manitoba is taking to support economic growth by investing $1.6 billion into infrastructure this year, to stimulate the economy, create jobs, and renew the province's roads, schools, health facilities, and water treatment facilities.