Thanks to the recession, the Municipality of Jasper will get $3 million towards the renovations at the Jasper Activity and Aquatic Centres as part of the Building Canada Fund, Communities Component. 

Rob Merrifield, Yellowhead Member of Parliament and Minister of State for Transport, announced the $176 million fund on Dec. 19 and communities were given the opportunity to apply up until Jan. 6.

The community component of the Building Canada Fund is also part of the $4 billion that was announced last week as part of the Harper Government’s budget directed to local and regional infrastructure. Merrifield said of the $4 billion, Alberta can expect to see about ten per cent or $400 million.

“There’s no question that we want to distribute the wealth though out the provinces as fairly as we possibly can,” Merrifield said. He hopes that Alberta will see $50 million out of the $500 million that will go towards refurbishing hockey rinks and a further $50 million out of $500 million dedicated to community recreation facilities.

Keeping a brave face about the Canadian economy, Merrifield said these were “golden opportunities amid a terrible, world slowdown in the economies of the world. Every bit of bad news has a silver lining,” he said. “We need to seize these opportunities that are before us.”

Though the minister wouldn’t speculate as to whether Jasper would see any more money, he said there are a number of grant applications coming in every day. “We do have extra pockets of money to be able to deal with it above and beyond the Building Canada Funds,” he said.

“You know, this week we have a significant amount more money than we did last week.” Two important criteria to any infrastructure spending would be how soon they “get off the ground and shovels in the ground,” and everything must be completed by the spring of 2011. “We won’t be advancing money beyond that,” he said.

The grant is intended to cover all of the Activity Centre renovations, which are expected to be completed by 2011.

Merrifield said the Jasper Activity and Aquatic Centres renovations are a prime example of how the federal government wants to boost Canada’s economy.

“This project was actually one of the top ones that was missed in the last round... We accelerated the top 22 from that list so that we could get money out the door, shovels ready and projects that were good,” he said.

“Not only is this a good opportunity for the community but also the green technology side of it. Not only are you going to employ a tremendous number of Albertans, right from engineers to materials and the people it takes to build the materials, but at the end of it you’re going to have a beautiful facility.”

The Activity Centre renovations are halfway through the first stage, with the insulated wall erected between the curling sheets and the gymnastic club. The second half of this phase will utilize heat from the arena for in-floor heating.

The second phase is the construction of a new fitness centre attached to the pool, housing the climbing wall, which is meant to ease patron access and staff efficiencies. Phase three will see the daycare expanded and renovations to both the upper curling lounge and foyer. The fourth phase will expand and upgrade the kitchen and its components and the fifth phase will cover the walkway from the Activity Centre to the Aquatic Centre with a transparent pedway.

The fund was available to municipalities with a population of 100,000 or less and is a joint project from the provincial and federal governments. Under the Canada-Alberta Building Canada Fund Communities Component, the federal and provincial governments provide up to two-thirds of the funding for eligible project costs. Municipalities provide the remaining project funding.

Hinton also received funding as part of the Building Canada Fund Communities Component, to the tune of $3 million towards its water treatment plant.