December 03, 2010

LUCKNOW, ON - The Townships of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh and Huron-Kinloss held an official ceremony today to celebrate the completion of the expansion of the Lucknow and District Sports Complex.

Ben Lobb, MP for Huron-Bruce; the Honourable Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce; Ben Van Diepenbeek, Reeve of the Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh; and Mitch Twolan, Mayor of the Township of Huron-Kinloss are pleased to see this important community recreational infrastructure project reach completion.

The expansion included the addition of a climate controlled second floor viewing area, new roof, stairs and seating areas. Other work included improved plumbing, electrical and lighting systems; a modernized multi-purpose room, kitchen and washroom facilities. Safety and accessibility improvements included the construction of an elevator providing access to the second floor and an additional emergency exit on the second floor.

The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $246,666 to the project, while the Townships of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh and Huron-Kinloss contributed the balance of the total project cost of $739,998.

“The Sports Complex upgrades provide an accessible, larger and better space to meet the needs of local residents,” said MP Lobb. "Through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we are creating jobs and providing families with recreation facilities they will enjoy for years to come.”

“Improvements to this sports complex supports our government’s Open Ontario plan to stimulate the economy and create new opportunities to support healthy, active living while creating jobs,” said MPP Mitchell. “In Lucknow, Open Ontario is supporting local trades and businesses while promoting a stronger, healthier community.”

“This new second floor viewing area is a vital asset to our community, and the generous contribution from both the federal and provincial governments under the RInC/Ontario REC Program helped make this dream a reality,” said Reeve Van Diepenbeek.

“Lucknow is a Village full of community spirit with a rich history dating back more than 150 years. Hockey is a strong part of Lucknow’s heritage and continues to be a strong part of what brings the community of Lucknow together. The Township of Huron-Kinloss Council is thrilled to see the completion of this joint project including a warm accessible viewing area, improved structural design and modernized amenities to the Lucknow and District Sports Complex. The governments of Canada and Ontario helped make this happen and the community of Lucknow and surrounding areas will benefit for years to come. We are thrilled to offer a state of the art facility that makes our community members proud and visitors envious,” said Mayor Twolan.

This project is one of more than 760 across the province that is moving forward thanks to a joint federal-provincial investment of more than $380 million under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC) Program in Ontario and the Ontario Recreation Program (Ontario REC). The governments of Canada and Ontario teamed up to support Ontario's communities and create jobs by improving recreational infrastructure, as these types of projects also encourage higher levels of participation in physical activity and community building. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.rinc-on.ca.