Three area organizations will benefit from a significant financial boost from the provincial government to carry out innovative projects over the coming months.
Huntingdon MNA Carole Mallette and Beauharnois MNA Claude Reid have announced a total investment of $462,374 on behalf of Andrée Laforest, the minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as part of the support for regional outreach component of the Fonds Régions et Ruralité (FRR).
The government will contribute $175,000 to the Livestock Breeders Association of the District of Beauharnois (LBA) to fund the development of the new Centre Agri-Culture Centre in Ormstown. The funds will be used to create a space that is larger and better adapted to the needs of the organization. The new infrastructure will include administrative space, a kitchen, washroom facilities, and an adaptable area to accommodate large groups or large-scale events.
At least $201,286 will be granted to the Société de conservation et d’aménagement des bassins versants de la Zone Chateauguay (SCABRIC) organization, to allow for the development of an activity that combines cycling with canoeing or kayaking on the Chateauguay River. A shuttle service will be established to collect and deliver bicycles to different destination points along the river so cyclists can continue their ride after paddling a section of their route.
Lastly, an $86,088 grant will be made to the Contamination Culturelle project managed by the Conseil des arts et de la culture de Vaudreuil-Soulanges in partnership with the MRC de Beauharnois-Salaberry. Mobile collective art exhibitions that group together 30 artists in 21 different outdoor venues will be held in several locations in the Beauharnois-Salaberry and Vaudreuil-Soulanges region throughout the summer into the fall.
In a joint press release, Mallette and Reid stated, “It is first and foremost the citizens of Beauharnois and Huntingdon who will benefit from improvements to their living environment through these projects.” The two MNAs were also careful to recognize the implication of the different organizations and promoters at the heart of these regional initiatives. “Their contribution is important for all of us and for the dynamism of our region.”
Additional funding for the LBA
In an April newsletter sent to all members of the LBA, manager Sue Morison noted that the Centre Agri-Culture Centre “has received tremendous support.” Along with the $175,000 in finding from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the project has been approved for an additional $100,000 from the Ministry of Tourism through the Entente de partenariat regional et de transformation numérique en tourisme 2022-2025. A further $28,000 will also be contributed to the project by the federal government through the Société d’aide au développement des collectivités (SADC) as part of the Tourism Small Business Assistance Project.
Combined, the LBA will receive over $300,000 in government funding for the completion of the new centre, the creation of which is also supported by Desjardins’ GoodSpark Fund. The initiative will create a leadership centre for bilingual training in sustainable agriculture, agritourism, and food processing aimed at supporting the longevity of agricultural businesses in the Haut-Saint-Laurent and surrounding regions. (SR)
