Governments Improve
Springbank Gardens Community Centre

June 18, 2010 - LONDON, ONTARIO – Today, Ed Holder, Member of Parliament for London West; Chris Bentley, Member of Provincial Parliament for London West; and London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, officially opened the Springbank Gardens Community Centre, London's newest recreational facility just off the Thames Valley Parkway trail system.

“The federal government is pleased to have contributed to the upgrades of this building for the thousands of residents and tourists alike who enjoy London’s beautiful parks and trails each year,” said MP Holder. “We hope that this improved facility will encourage Londoners to participate in outdoor physical activities, enjoy safe access to our parks, and appreciate the natural beauty of London.” 

“The McGuinty government is proud to support investments like this that work into our new five-year Open Ontario plan to strengthen our province’s infrastructure assets,” said MPP Bentley. “By investing in this project, our government is helping the province’s tourism industry as well as promoting healthy living and respect for safe recreational facilities.”

“This gathering place is designed to help people connect on many levels through fitness, the arts and other community programming,” said Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best. “As various levels of government continue to work together, our goal is to ensure an enhanced quality of life for all Londoners.”

As part of the renovations to the Springbank Gardens Community Centre building, the main space was expanded, storage space was added and the washroom facilities were upgraded. Washroom facilities along the Springbank and Greenway trails and the adjoining Rose Garden operations support centre building also benefitted from various upgrades and enhancements.  

The governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of London each provided $450,000 toward the $1.35 million Thames Valley Parkway (Main Branch) project. The City of London provided an additional $200,000 for further upgrades to the Springbank Gardens Community Centre. 

The Government of Canada’s contribution comes from the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, a key component of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The Fund invests in provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure projects across Canada to stimulate economic growth and create jobs.

The Province of Ontario’s contribution comes from the 2009 provincial budget, Confronting the Challenge: Building Our Economic Future, Ontario's two-year, $32.5-billon infrastructure investment will support more than 300,000 jobs and strengthen Ontario’s economy.

Since 2007, the governments of Canada and Ontario have committed more than $13 billion in joint funding for over 6,400 infrastructure projects across the province.

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