A downtown Winnipeg hub that provides programs and services to Indigenous people in a heritage railway station is undergoing major upgrades thanks to $21 million in federal funding.
The non-profit Neeginan Centre operates out of the former Canadian Pacific station — a national historic site — on Higgins Avenue, just east of Main Street.
The century-old building will undergo structural improvements, alongside upgrades to its lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Kevin Chief, a Neeginan Centre board member, said historical aspects will be retained during the $21 million refit.
Winnipeg Liberal MP Dan Vandal, the minister for Prairies Economic Development Canada, said the funding is intended to make the building more energy efficient.
“Good and reliable infrastructure are the foundation of any community,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.
Officials said the upgrades are expected the cut the building’s energy consumption by almost 30 per cent and its greenhouse gas emissions by 225 tonnes annually.
Some of the work, including upgrades to the roof, is already underway. The project should be completed by 2027, said Neeginan Centre executive director Marileen Bartlett.
Kevin Chief, a Neeginan Centre board member, said historical aspects will be retained during the refit.
He said it’s the largest investment the centre has received since its doors opened about 30 years ago.
Neeginan Centre’s key programs and services include health and wellness, employment and training, and two child-care centres. The centre aims to remove barriers for Indigenous people.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Winnipeg Liberal MP Dan Vandal, the minister for Prairies Economic Development Canada, said the funding is intended to make the building more energy efficient.
Chief said the hub is one of hope and activity in one of the lowest income urban postal codes in Canada.
“It helps change lives,” he said. “It continues to drive hope and optimism.”
The federal funds are being provided through Ottawa’s green and inclusive community buildings program.
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Chris Kitching
Reporter
Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.
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