.png)
A North End community centre has received a much-needed upgrade.
Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre, located at 510 King Street, unveiled a renovated kitchen on Tuesday, which will help support healthy food options and community programming in the Lord Selkirk Park and William Whyte communities.
The renovations include a new universally accessible kitchen with new cabinets, counter tops, commercial grade appliances and an expanded pantry area.
"Strong communities start with safe, welcoming spaces where people can connect and take care of each other," said Mayor Scott Gillingham. "This renovated kitchen will help deliver healthy food and great programming to families in William Whyte, and it shows what we can accomplish when we collaborate across levels of government and with community partners."
City councillor and chairperson for the Standing Policy Committee on Community Services, Vivian Santos, says access to healthy food and welcoming spaces is essential for building strong neighbourhoods.
“This upgraded kitchen will serve as a cornerstone for programs that nourish both body and spirit, especially for families and youth in the William Whyte area. I’m grateful for the partnership with the Province of Manitoba and the many local organizations that bring life and purpose to Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre every day,” said Santos.
For the most part, the kitchen will be used to host programs and prepare healthy snacks for the city of Winnipeg's Priceless Fun programs. It will also be used by community organizations operating programming in the centre, including Ma Mawi Wi Ichi Itata, Winnipeg School Division, and Graffiti Arts Programming.
“Turtle Island’s new kitchen will fill a gap for food security and good food decisions in an area currently not served by other food security initiatives in the North End,” said Councillor Ross Eadie, Mynarski.
The project cost $1.8 million with the budget coming from the provincially funded City of Winnipeg Recreation and Library Facility Investment Strategy.