Federally funded improvements completed at Wawanesa and District Recreation Centre

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Ottawa invested $832,000 to upgrade the HVAC system and replace the two ice plants

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Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and CanNor, Andrew Smith, Manitoba Minister of Municipal Relations, and Brett McGregor, Director of the Souris River Recreation Commission, announced a federal investment of more than $832,000 to modernize the Wawanesa and District Recreation Centre and announced the completion of the project.

"Rec centres are at the heart of small towns across Canada. Our government is proud to have contributed to the retrofit of this long-standing centre in Oakland-Wawanesa, providing residents with more options to stay fit and connect with their community, while reducing its electricity costs." said Vandal.

A media release says "Through this funding, the Rural Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa was able to upgrade the facility's HVAC system and replace the two ice plants, which had exceeded their life cycles. The chilling time of the hockey and curling rinks has now been reduced by 86%. Overall, these improvements will reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 33% and greenhouse gas emissions by 3.9 tonnes annually."

Andrew Smith said, "Manitoba's Building Sustainable Communities Program supports non-profits and local governments to invest in local priorities. We were pleased to provide $300,000 last year through the program for upgrades at the Wawanesa and District Recreation Centre. Manitoba recognizes the importance of working with municipalities and community-based organizations to help communities across the province."

And Brett McGregor said, "We are incredibly grateful for the support and partnership of Infrastructure Canada in our project to replace our aging ice plants. With their assistance, we were able to take a significant step towards reducing our carbon footprint and achieving our sustainability goals by implementing an energy-efficient ammonia system. Their contribution has not only helped our organization, but it will also benefit the environment and our community for years to come."

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