Plans have been unveiled that give a downtown location a fresh look.

The Municipality of Boissevain-Morton, with funding from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF), has announced the Downtown Boissevain Rejuvenation Project – an initiative to re-energize the downtown business district and Outdoor Art Gallery.

Federal funding for this initiative is provided through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF), which is administered in Manitoba through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan). The total cost of the project is $186,392, with $87,500 funded from PrairiesCan and the remainder from the Municipality and community partnerships.

Head of Council Judy Swanson stressed the importance of keeping the community looking fresh and up to date. “We applied for this federal grant that focuses on building new community infrastructure in an effort to bring people back to public spaces while creating opportunities for business and stimulating the local economy. This fits perfectly with what we want to do with the downtown area.”

“It’s all happening at the corner where we are putting up a new sign. This will be a gathering place for both public and private functions.”

The Downtown Boissevain Rejuvenation Project will transform an underutilized greenspace, at the corner of Highway #10 and main street, into an accessible community event space with a large timber-frame gazebo (24x24), a moveable stage, and seating. With the addition of a new electronic sign and repurposing the water towers into murals, this project will revitalize our downtown and Outdoor Art Gallery (a designated Manitoba Star Attraction).

“Our government will continue investing in projects across Manitoba that help communities create and build spaces for people to, once again, come together. Through the Canadian Community Revitalization Fund, the Municipality of Boissevain-Morton will be able to rejuvenate these community spaces so that they can be enjoyed for many years to come” said the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan.

The municipality is working with the local arts council on a couple of projects that are part of the overall rejuvenation.

“We asked the arts council to join us and it’s exciting to see what they bring to the project. They’re going to put in a colourful branding sidewalk that could have things like turtles and Boissevain on it. The most exciting is they’re looking at putting murals on our water towers. Structurally they are sound but they just aren’t usable anymore. So they had to either come down and we have to make them so they look good in our community.”

The Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) aims to help communities across Canada build and improve community infrastructure to rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding was created to help municipalities, non-profit organizations, community groups and indigenous communities build and grow to create strong Canadian communities.

Judy Swanson says the new electronic sign will be in place in either July or August.

“It’s important to make improvements. Roads, water and sewers of course are important but we live in a beautiful community and there are other areas we must continue to upgrade. We’ve always been known for our community beautification so it’s exciting to see something rejuvenated. At the time when the downtown area was down it was great but it’s worn and needs to upgraded. Also the bird tower came down and it will be going back up down near the turtle statue” said Judy Swanson.