NDP promise $5M towards Tache community centre, if elected

Manitoba's NDP Leader was in Lorette Tuesday afternoon to make an election promise regarding construction of a new Tache community centre. Wab Kinew says under a Manitoba NDP government, the centre will get built.

Dawson Trail NDP candidate Chris Wiebe says the centre is a very special place for local residents. However, he says it is also a place that has aged out of its use.

"It's needed repairs for such a long time, pieces of the roof are falling off on the ice," says Wiebe. "It's not safe to use anymore."

Wiebe says residents of Lorette and families who use the arena have been calling for a new building for years. Yet, he suggests that under the Progressive Conservative government, Lorette has been left to cover the remaining $5 million price tag to complete the project. 

"With a Manitoba NDP government, more folks will have a community centre nearby," says NDP Leader Wab Kinew. "We will build a fully funded Tache community centre." 

Kinew says the centre will be built without raising taxes locally. 

"This announcement brings great assurance to the citizens of Tache," says Tache Mayor Armand Poirier. 

He says we are living in a period of high inflation due in part to supply chain issues. Poirier says this is jeopardizing all infrastructure projects, large or small. 

"Today's announcement is welcome news," adds Poirier. "This is an assurance that if people in Manitoba choose an NDP government in Manitoba on October 3rd, the Tache community centre project will not be compromised and will proceed as planned."

He adds the injection of these additional funds to this project would result in a significant tax savings to the people of Tache. Poirier says the way things stand currently; they will have to consider raising taxes to cover the remaining costs of this project. However, he notes Kinew's promise would reduce the amount of borrowing which ratepayers would otherwise have to repay over a period of many years.

Tuesday's announcement comes eight months after Heather Stefanson made a stop in Lorette, committing $3.6 million from the provincial government towards this project. The provincial funding was approved in its budget. At the time it was said that the federal government would invest up to $4.4 million, with $2.9 million coming from the Rural Municipality of Tache. Since then, the RM of Tache has requested this additional $5 million from the province, which was not approved. 

The new centre will include such things as a hockey rink, childcare centre and walking track.

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