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For Immediate Release
August 10, 2007

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS REVITALIZATION PROJECT

Innovative Multi-Service Facility Will Encourage Community Development

SARSFIELD - The McGuinty government is investing in a community revitalization project that will create a new regional multi use facility, Jean-Marc Lalonde, MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, announced today on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"The retrofitting of this unused school promises great opportunities for Eastern Ottawa communities," said Lalonde. "In addition to creating permanent and seasonal jobs, this project will provide health services, socio-cultural, and sports and recreation activities to help encourage community development and growth."

The province will contribute $138,500 to help Coopérative multiservices Inc. and its partners, the Community Association of Sarsfield, and the City of Ottawa, complete the refurbishment of a regional multi-service facility.

"Thanks to the support of the provincial government, the Coopérative multiservices can now proceed," said Mme. Pierrette Bourbonnais, president, Coopérative multiservices Inc.. "The re-modeling of the former Saint-Hugues School will foster new partnerships that will achieve positive economic objectives through revitalizing our community and providing services to the community and its neighbouring communities."

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in rural Ontario. Other examples include:

  • Providing an additional $70 million for the Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative. This means a total of $140 million will be available for improvements to water systems, roads, bridges and other priorities
  • Providing $472 million in 2007 to rural municipalities through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund
  • Providing $12.5 million to the new Pick Ontario Freshness marketing strategy, which includes a consumer awareness campaign designed to increase interest and demand for local foods across the province, expands the Foodland Ontario program to more fresh food products and boosts the Savour Ontario program in fine dining and vacation establishments.

Today's investment was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program, which invests in community-based projects that support sustainable rural economies in three priority areas: improved access to health care services, revitalized communities and downtowns, and enhanced skills training.

Through the RED Program, the province has invested $33.1 million in 119 projects, representing a total investment of $204.9 million in rural Ontario, since 2003. The Ontario government and its partners are building strong rural communities that work better for the people who live in them.

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Contact:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416-326-6439

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