Sod Turning for Spray Pad Park in Fort Richmond

Very pleased to join Mayor Gillingham, Councillor Chambers, MP Terry Duguid, MLA Chen & community members to officially turn the sod & start on the new South Winnipeg Recreation Campus spray pad park – at the Ft Richmond site!  This $1.5 Million spray pad park is anticipated to open later this summer and will be a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood. The spray pad area is approximately 5,700 sq feet in size and includes pathways, seating areas (including benches and picnic tables), shade structures, bike racks, and new trees.

This project is one of many that Councillor Chambers and I are working on to increase recreational activities for youth in South Winnipeg. We recently provided funding for a new zamboni for South Winnipeg Community Centre, and we have a study underway to determine the cost of adding a gymnasium to the Center.

In addition, Councillor Chambers and I, along with the support of Nafiya Naso, are working on multiple initiatives to combat the impact of high poverty in South Winnipeg. Many people are not aware, that next to downtown, South Pembina has the second largest area of poverty in Winnipeg.  See: Poverty in South Winnipeg.

The highest concentration of poverty is in the south is in the Fort Richmond area – where many new Canadians and refugees have settled. Councillor Chambers, Nafiya Naso and I have been working with many social service agencies to understand what they offer for youth activities, and where the gaps are.

• We’ve been working with the United Way to review the locations of Resource Centres – sites where families can gain the support they need for success.
• We’ve been working with the Boys & Girls Clubs – we have two sites in South Winnipeg (Dalhousie School and the South Pembina Club on Dalhousie Drive). We’ve secured funding to increase their after school and summer programming.
• We’ve also been working with Pembina Trails School Division to understand what summer programming activities occur in schools near Pembina Highway.
• Of course, we’ve also held multiple crime forums to help residents understand what they need to do to protect their property and to be proactive in crime awareness.

We’ve met with both MLA’s Chen and Pankratz to update them on this work – and are seeking Provincial support for south Winnipeg to address root causes of crime and poverty.