New fund would contribute $20 million per year to facilities, help build safer communities Violent crime and gangs have flourished in Manitoba over the past twelve years thanks to Greg Selinger and the NDP. Hugh McFadyen and the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives want to tackle violent crime with more support for police and prosecutors, but they also understand the root causes need to be addressed. Community facilities, home to recreational activities and other resources, can make a huge difference, but they suffer from a lack of funding. To address this challenge, a McFadyen government will introduce a new Manitoba Community Investment Fund to provide support for community facilities across Manitoba. “Long-term crime reduction calls for action to tackle root causes. We have to make sure our community centres and community facilities across Manitoba are able to provide alternatives for young people,” says McFadyen. “The patchwork funding approach of Greg Selinger and the NDP over the past twelve years hasn’t helped our crumbling community centres and recreation facilities any more than it has helped the crumbling roads and bridges. Our new funding programs will change this.” The Manitoba Community Investment Fund will provide $20 million a year to community facilities around Manitoba. This would be an increase of $5 million per year over current NDP funding levels, and the fund will ultimately provide $25 million in new funding over a five-year period. Funding will be open to applications from community organizations across Manitoba. “This extra support will make an important difference for our facility and our programming,” says Kevin O’Neill, President, Bord-Aire Community Club. “The additional funding is a big step in the right direction and will help us increase our support to the community.” "As a family with young children, we plan to use these community centres all the time, and more money to fix it up would be great for my family and my community," says Candice Vince. "These community centres are an important part of our neighbourhood, and it's good to see a party making this a priority." “These facilities help bridge the time around school hours and they can make a huge difference in tackling the long term causes of crime,” adds McFadyen. “This fund will help us create safer communities for Manitoba families, and bring positive change Manitobans are looking for.”
