Government of Canada Funds New Net-Zero River Valley Outdoor Activity Centre in Edmonton

August 4, 2022

The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, announced over $6.6 million in federal funding for the River Valley Outdoor Activity Centre.

“Accessible outdoor spaces are vital to local communities; fostering connections, and improving the mental and physical health of residents. Edmonton’s River Valley is no exception. The new River Valley Outdoor Activity Center will provide inclusive cultural and sport experiences, accessible by Edmontonians all year round. Congratulations to the Edmonton Ski Club for your vision and leadership. Edmontonians and visitors from around the world will benefit from this new River Valley icon,” said the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

“The federally-funded Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program could greatly benefit a wide range of initiatives. It supports the City plan to build up community by improving infrastructure in an energy-efficient way, and I am excited to see how this funding is distributed. The City is committed to working with local organizations, like the Edmonton Ski Club, to support accessible and inclusive programming that is available for all Edmontonians—I look forward to exploring this further during budget conversations later this year with Council,” said His Worship Amarjeet Sohi, Mayor of the City of Edmonton.

“The Edmonton Ski Club is passionately committed to providing affordable outdoor recreation opportunities to families and individuals of all abilities. With support from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, we will build on our 111-year legacy to offer high quality, inclusive programming in collaboration with our many community partners, in a modern, inclusive and environmentally responsible facility,” said Sandy Fleming, Edmonton Ski Club board president.

The River Valley Outdoor Activity Centre will be led by the Edmonton Ski Club, a non-profit society which is contributing more than $4.6 million to this project. The new Activity Centre will provide sport and cultural programming to a range of participants, from those facing barriers to Olympic-level athletes. Additionally, it will be a welcoming and inclusive net-zero carbon community space, which will be accessible via both the trail system that runs along the North Saskatchewan River and Edmonton’s Valley Line light rail transit.

• The Government of Canada is investing $6,661,168 through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.
• The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program is an integral part of Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan, providing $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades of existing public community buildings and the construction of new publicly-accessible community buildings that serve high-needs, underserved communities across Canada.
• At least 10 percent of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.
• Provincial/territorial governments, municipal or regional governments, public sector bodies, not-for-profit, and Indigenous organizations interested in the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program are invited to apply on the Infrastructure Canada website.
• Applicants with large retrofit projects to existing community buildings or new community building projects with total eligible costs ranging from $3 million to $25 million were accepted through a competitive intake process which closed on July 6, 2021. A second intake is anticipated later in 2022, however, the date has not yet been determined. Details about the second intake will be published to the Infrastructure Canada—Green and Inclusive Community Buildings’ website as soon as they become available.
• Announced in December 2020, Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan includes 64 new measures and $15 billion in investments towards a healthy environment and economy.

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