Media Release
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2023
Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority Receives Government of Canada support for Community Infrastructure and Tourism
$750,000 will help create an Indigenous Community Education Centre and expand the Longwoods Road Conservation Area Resource Centre!
Strathroy-Caradoc – On Friday, March 3, 2023, MP Arielle Kayabaga, on behalf of the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, announced over $4.5 million in support for 22 community infrastructure and tourism projects in London and southwestern Ontario. Of these funds, $750,000 is going to the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority to support the expansion of the Longwoods Road Conservation Area Resource Centre and the creation of an Indigenous Community Education Centre.
Many in the community may know the Resource Centre by its other name, Ska-Nah-Doht Museum, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. Support from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as well as fundraising efforts, will enable the construction of the Indigenous Community Education Centre, a 2,000-square-foot addition to the Resource Centre/Museum. Funds will also permit further upgrades, including the installation of a new kitchen and accessible washroom, as well as the revitalization of the existing building through roof, siding, window, furnace, septic and parking improvements. Construction and renovations will begin in 2023.
The vision for this project stems from community input provided during the 2017 Longwoods Road Conservation Area Visioning Exercise and the subsequent Longwoods Resource Centre Feasibility Study in 2019. These exercises demonstrated community support for improvements to existing museum space and a desire for a unique, multipurpose facility for education programs, gatherings, weddings, seminars, meetings and symposiums to be created at Longwoods Road Conservation Area.
Local schools, groups, families and tourists from around the world come to Longwoods Road Conservation Area and Ska-Nah-Doht Village & Museum each year. The project will provide those visiting with an inclusive, welcoming space to gather, share and learn while experiencing local heritage and our environment, through a unique blend of programs combining Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and Western ways of knowing.
“Investments in tourism and community spaces are not only vital for economic growth, but they also strengthen the social fabric of our community and preserve its unique identity for future generations to enjoy,” said Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament for London West. “Today’s investment in community infrastructure and tourism in London and southwestern Ontario will have a lasting impact on our local communities.”
“Reconciliation is a journey walked by all Canadians. Highlighting Indigenous Peoples through the Community Education Centre will help communities grow as they learn their shared history together,” said the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “Our government is happy to support the Indigenous Community Education Centre, as it showcases local Indigenous knowledge and helps us learn more about one another.”
For Further Information Contact:
Mark Peacock
CAO / Treasurer
Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority
519-354-7310 x 224
[email protected]
www.ltvca.ca
Edward Hutchinson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
[email protected]
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About FedDev Ontario
For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.