Manitoba NDP to spend up to $1M to rebuild Brandon community centre if elected

A Brandon community centre in disrepair is set to get a facelift if a Manitoba NDP government is elected this fall.

At a campaign announcement Sunday, NDP Leader Wab Kinew promised to spend up to $1 million to rebuild the Park Community Centre in Brandon with a new child-care facility.

The commitment is welcome news for Eldon Schmitz, a board member and the centre's rental co-ordinator, who said members have been trying to get the structure rebuilt or repaired for the past five years.

"It's been an uphill battle," Schmitz told CBC on Sunday. He said the building had been deemed unsafe because of structural issues with the floor.

"If they form government, I'm gonna be really happy," he added.

The future of the centre has been uncertain since the creation of Brandon's Park and Recreation Plan, which called for repairs or a new building. 

Schmitz said a request for proposals had been commissioned, but the city rejected three bids to rebuild the centre earlier this year because the price tags were too high.

Costs for a new building totalled about $1.2 million, about $300,000 over the city's budget.

"It's very important to the city," Schmitz said. Community members rent out the centre for birthday parties, church services or to use as a space to record music.

Creating a child-care space in the centre has also been on board members' agenda, he added.

"Whenever I come to Brandon, I hear a lot about child care," Kinew said at the press conference. 

"It just seemed like there was a real win-win opportunity here to both support a needed community initiative but also to expand the child-care spaces available."

Kinew said the party will soon be rolling out other commitments for Brandon.

The provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 3.