Building healthy, vibrant communities
Alberta’s government is supporting communities by investing $10.6 million to upgrade or build 88 public-use community facilities across the province.
The Community Facility Enhancement Program provides matching funding to help non-profits leverage other sources of funding to upgrade, redevelop, acquire or build public-use community facilities.
This investment will support and strengthen the important work already being done by non-profits in Alberta. Non-profit-owned public-use community facilities include sports, recreational, cultural or other public-use facilities, such as community halls, parks and playgrounds, natural areas, campsites, sports fields or outdoor pools and rinks.
“The Community Facility Enhancement Program fosters healthy, vibrant communities across Alberta by working in partnership with non-profits to build and strengthen civil society. Extending the lifespan of public facilities and creating more spaces keeps people connected and engaged, making life better for all Albertans. These projects are an important part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan to stimulate job creation and increase tourism and local revenue in communities across Alberta.” Ron Orr, Minister of Culture
Community benefits of the approved projects will include:
Increasing access to tennis, skiing, skateboarding and biking parks.
Creating community hubs with wraparound services for newcomer organizations and children support services.
Supporting various shelters and food banks to expand their space.
Supporting arts organizations to find a home.
Projects must demonstrate a high level of community impact to the broader public and/or specific demographics. Projects are also prioritized for funding based on:
Direct and indirect economic benefits to the community, including job creation and the purchase of goods and services.
Immediate or urgent need in the community.
Project readiness.
Project viability and organizational sustainability.
The projects were approved through the Community Facility Enhancement Program Large and Small grant funding streams. The small grant stream provides up to $125,000 per project, while the large grant stream provides funding of $125,001 to $1 million. Overall, 14 projects received grants through the CFEP Large funding stream, for a total of $6.5 million, while 74 projects received a total of $4.1 million through the CFEP Small stream.