Winnipeg's Main Street Project to receive nearly $10.7M from Ottawa to expand, improve Martha Street facility

The federal government is investing nearly $10.7 million to upgrade a former emergency shelter in Winnipeg.

The Main Street Project's facility on Martha Street will receive several upgrades to improve its endurance and energy efficiency, as well as an expansion to include a withdrawal management space, an Infrastructure Canada news release said.

"This project isn't only about improving our services that we're able to offer the community, but it's also about improving the neighbourhood, which has not seen investments in many years," Main Street Project executive director Jamil Mahmood said at a Wednesday press conference.

The non-profit organization, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, provides safe spaces for vulnerable community members and support for people experiencing homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges.

The building's exterior, including the windows and roof, will be upgraded alongside its plumbing and electrical systems, the release said.

Accessible bathrooms and automated doors will also be introduced in the building, and elevators will be made available on each floor of the building to further ensure accessibility.

The changes are expected to decrease the building's energy consumption by an estimated 44.8 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 232 tonnes, according to the release.

Mahmood said the upcoming enhancements are a way of making "the buildings look like the amazing work that happens inside them each day."

Saint Boniface-Saint Vital MP Dan Vandal said Main Street Project has helped many Winnipeggers in the last five decades, and the improvements will allow them to serve even more.

The investment from Ottawa is also a way to address a health-care system which has been stretched over the last few years, he said, leaving many to struggle to access support for mental health and substance use.

"We're strengthening the system that Canadians hold dear," Vandal said at the news conference.

The funding comes from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, part of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan, which works to increase energy efficiency and climate change resiliency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The program is doling out $1.5 billion in order to create green and accessible repairs, retrofits and upgrades over the next five years, the release said.

Vandal said the feds are working with municipal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as First Nations and non-profit organizations to make sure all Canadians have access to the care they need.

"We will absolutely keep working collaboratively with our partners to support meaningful investments in infrastructure projects across the country that deliver results — just like this one."