Date: 2010/01/18

Byline: Doug Marner

$1 million grant for lake's arena renovations

The federal government has provided a $1 million grant to help with the $7.5 million renovations to the sports arena.

The grant, which will provide $500,000 a year for the next two years, was officially announced Friday in Lake Cowichan by Dr. James Lunney, MP for Nanaimo-Alberni.

Approval of the grant, which was contingent on the renovation work not starting, came under the wire if the project is to get started by next month. Now the main contracts can go out next week and work should begin in early February.

"It thought we weren't going to get it," said Sheila McFarlane, chair of the Cowichan Lake Recreation Commission. "When I first heard about it two weeks ago, I was gleeful. I so wanted to tell people, but I couldn't."

The grant comes through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada program of Canada's Economic Action Plan.

“Our Government, through the Economic Action Plan, has taken concrete steps to reduce the effects of the economic slowdown on British Columbia’s communities,” said Lunney. “The renovation of the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena will not only create immediate jobs for the community, it will also pave the way for future growth and prosperity while ensuring access to a recreational facility that will strengthen community ties for many years to come.”