Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae was in Palmerston on the morning of September 26 to announce a new round of Rural Economic Development funding for his riding.
$307,000 will be split among 7 different projects in Perth-Wellington to help restore or enhance local landmarks. That includes the historic caboose at the Palmerston Railway Museum. Rae says providing funding for local landmarks is very important to him.
"I think it's really significant and I'm glad our provincial government is at the table helping with the restoration of the caboose here and the beautiful park and railway museum. The history in our rural communities is very deep, and we want to ensure that we are maintaining that and providing that educational opportunity for newcomers to our communities," Rae proclaimed.
Rae adds that the provincial government is providing a total of $5.7 million this year in Rural Economic Development funding for 85 different projects across the province. According to Rae's release on the latest round of RED funding, the program "supports projects that diversify and grow local economies, build community capacity, and address barriers to economic development and labour force challenges." He says supporting projects like the one at the Railway Museum matter greatly to the area.
"It's because of the great partnerships that we have locally that I'm able to advocate at the provincial level to secure some of that funding. Over $300,000 this time from the RED program, 7 across Perth and Wellington County, and I know there's more need, but I know working with our local partners, service clubs and municipalities, we'll continue to meet those needs at the provincial level," Rae added. "This is important because there's $300 billion GDP annually in rural economic development and activity. 1.2 million people go to work every single day in rural Ontario, and that is very important to the larger provincial economy, and we're going to continue to support that to ensure we build a strong, rural economy for future generations."
“Our government recognizes the importance of rural economic development, and this program provides municipalities, Indigenous communities, and not-for-profits with the funding they need for projects that contribute to local economic vitality,” noted Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs. “The Rural Economic Development program is another example of how our government is ensuring small towns and rural communities across Ontario continue to share in the province’s growth and economic prosperity.”
“The Town of Minto would like to thank the Province of Ontario through the Rural Economic Development Fund for their contribution to the Palmerston Railway Museum Rolling Stock Restoration Project,” shared Dave Turton, Mayor for the Town of Minto said. “The project includes the refurbishment of the historic caboose and box car and will allow the Town of Minto and the Palmerston Railway Museum Committee to create interactive spaces for visitors to the Museum to experience and learn about the history and importance of the Railway to Palmerston and surrounding communities. Projects like this wouldn’t happen without amazing community partners. The Town would like to thank the Palmerston Lions Club, All Aboard Palmerston Downtown Revitalization Committee, Palmerston Agricultural Society and the Minto Farmers’ Market along with numerous community donors for supporting our application and the project with both in-kind and cash contributions. Special thank you to the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum Committee for their vision to see this project come to light and specifically to Bob McEachern and Diane Gilbertson for their countless hours researching, travelling and obtaining quotes to help ensure we restore the caboose and box car to authentic states.”
Funding as provided by the Ministry of Rural Affairs:
Town of Minto
Palmerston Railway Museum Restoration Project
$11,388.45
Here For Now Theatre Company
Here For Now Micro Theatre
$191,657.41
County of Perth
Tourism Shareworthy Moments Initiative
$30,000
County of Perth
Business Retention and Expansion Project
$8,875
United Way Perth-Huron
United Housing Small Urban Mixed Use Collaborative Toolkit
$25,461
County of Wellington
Path to Succession: Supporting Farm Transition in Wellington County program
$22,500
Municipality of North Perth
North Perth Innovation and Business Centre
$17,350
Total
$307,231.86