UPSALA – A more accessible recreation centre is a year or so away for Upsala with a big grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
Much of the $180,000 in Heritage Fund money announced Thursday by Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland will be used to build a new foyer and renovate washrooms for better accessibility at the Upsala Recreation and Community Sports Centre.
Other uses of the funding will include installation of a storage garage and backup generators for the rec centre and the volunteer fire department.
“This funding is another example of our government’s dedication to providing small rural communities the resources they need to thrive,” said Holland, who announced the funding at the rec centre on Community Hall Road.
Planned rec centre renos include a gender-neutral bathroom that will be wheelchair-accessible and have a change table, Upsala project manager Jenny Veal told Newswatch.
“And then we’re doing a revamp on our current (men’s and women’s) bathrooms just to make them a little bit more accessible as well,” Veal continued.
The rec centre’s main entrance will be modified for better accessibility as well, she said.
“So that's going to be a game changer for our folks in the community that have mobility issues.”
A storage facility at the Inwood Park and Campground will be home to the community snow plow and other essential equipment, Veal said.
The Heritage Fund amount will cover 90 per cent of the cost of these changes in Upsala, Holland told residents gathered at the rec centre to hear his announcement.
Veal said the target date for getting all the work done is September 2025.
