The provincial government is committing $29 million dollars for the construction of new facilities related to the 2021 Canada Games in Niagara.
Minister of Sport Lisa MacLeod made the announcement Friday afternoon at the St. Catharines Rowing Alumni Association Clubhouse.
MacLeod says she is thrilled that the province is hosting the Games with all the economic opportunities that it brings.
On CKTB with Larry Fedoruk, Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff said the games will lead to over $400 million dollars of economic activity and 2000 jobs.
Oosterhoff added that it could be as early as October that we see construction projects getting underway.
On the topic of construction, Chair of the Games Doug Hamilton tells CKTB there's a sense of relief that the funding has been locked up.
However, now the work must be done to finalize construction documents, at which point the plan is to move forward with the project in a couple weeks.
Pending federal approval under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the money will go towards supporting facilities at the Canada Games Park in Thorold; the Henley Rowing Centre in St. Catharines; baseball fields in Welland and Niagara Falls; softball fields in Grimsby, West Lincoln, and Wainfleet; and upgrades to its cycling course.
Board Chair for the Niagara 2021 Host Society Doug Hamilton says the "new facilities will enable us to provide a phenomenal experience and leave a transformative legacy for our entire community to enjoy for many years to come."