The Ontario government is investing more than a quarter of a million dollars into the municipality of Shuniah.
The MacGregor Recreation Centre’s Rink Shack will be receiving $175,000 through the province’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, for upgrades including barrier-free washrooms, an accessibility ramp, a concessions stand, new change rooms, and more.
“This rink means everything to our community,” says Shuniah mayor Wendy Landry. “Our community members want to do things in our community. To be able to do things close to home is super important.”
Shuniah’s Rink Shack provides year-round recreational and athletic activities for the area. When not frozen in the winter for hockey, the shack hosts movies, performances, and games, in addition to sporting events.
“It’s really important for our government to invest in small rural northern communities,” Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland remarks. He describes the investment as a way to improve residents’ quality of life and bring the community closer together.
The provincial government is also providing Shuniah with an additional $65,755 from its Community Safety and Policing Grant to appoint a dedicated community liaison officer from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Mayor Landry believes that it benefits small rural communities to have established relationships with local police: “You get to know them, you can call them and have a conversation.”
Landry explains that it can be challenging or even intimidating for locals to phone the OPP when there’s an issue.
“If they have that personal relationship with our community police officer, then it makes it that much easier, and people feel safe,” she says.
