Members of Council for the Municipality of Port Hope were joined by the Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation, and Parks and MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South David Piccini, and members of the community for an official ribbon cutting and grand re-opening celebration for the newly expanded Town Park Recreation Centre (TPRC) on September 7, 2023.
At the event, guests were treated to remarks from our dignitaries, a tour of the facility, and refreshments as part of the celebration.
The TPRC expansion project, which has been themed “Growing Together,” broke ground in July 2022. Dalren Limited, a locally based contracting firm managed the project through to completion.
This completed expansion includes:
• three multipurpose rooms
• accessible washrooms
• a welcoming lobby and customer service space
• additional staff offices and storage
• a new kitchenette
• an outdoor courtyard area for future development
• important improvements to the existing building
The completed facility will enhance the usable space and optimize operational costs, while providing enhanced older adult programming and increased programming for all ages.
The completion of the new facility, to replace the Ruth Clarke Activity Centre, was an objective of the Port Hope Strategic Plan 2019-2022. In November 2019, the Municipality applied to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which is jointly funded by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. On March 18, 2021, it was announced that the Municipality was successful with the ICIP application, and the project was awarded funding in the amount of $1.2M from the federal government and $1M from the provincial government.
A funding strategy was launched in June of 2023 to help support this important community strategic priority. With a goal of $250,000, this community fundraising campaign is comprised of community donations, sponsorships, and event revenue.
Additional information about the campaign and the expansion project is available at porthope.ca/tprc-expansion.
Quotes
“Building a stronger Ontario means supporting seniors as they age in place and investing in the Town Park Recreation Centre expansion; critical to our growing community’s needs. I am proud that the Government of Ontario has invested over $1 million to support this expansion and the diverse needs of Port Hope.”
The Honourable David Piccini, Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, and MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South
“We know how important it is to invest in infrastructure that provides seniors with opportunities to be active in their community. Our government is proud to support the expansion of the Town Park Recreation Centre to provide enhanced programming, promote lifelong learning and build a stronger sense of community for the residents of Port Hope.”
The Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure
“We are so grateful to the Province and the Federal Government for their funding contributions to this much-needed expansion project. Additionally, we are humbled by the community and their enthusiastic support for this important public facility. In response to the growth of the older adult population in our community, this Centre will provide improved spaces to serve our seniors and all other residents of Port Hope for years to come.”
Olena Hankivsky, Mayor, Municipality of Port Hope
Author: Pete Fisher
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