More tourism money to head up north this year
Majority of grants still go to organizations in southern Manitoba
New money is on the way to 29 community groups to help boost rural, northern and Indigenous tourism, a news release issued by the province says, but most of that money will flow to southern Manitoba.
The number of grants doled out to northern communities jumped from 11 per cent under the previous government to 21 per cent this year.
The province paid to fly three politicians, two press secretaries, three bureaucrats and a political aide to Churchill for a day, which included an announcement the Tourism Development Fund was to increase by more than 50 per cent to $297,000 for 2016-17.
NDP deputy northern affairs critic Tom,Lindsey called the trip to Churchill a junket with little benefit to the town hit hard by layoffs by Omnitrax, the town's largest employer.
This year's program included one grant targeted specifically to Churchill. A $10,000 cheque will go to the Churchill Ladies Club to develop an augmented reality app.
Thompson, Man. received the most grants of any one location, three in total, including $7,500 for the Thompson Zoological Society for the Boreal Discovery Centre aquarium program.
"Our government has been developing relationships with northern Manitobans and seeking their advice for long-term solutions," said Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen in a news release.
"Our entire province's economy will benefit from successful northern enterprise and we look forward to working with the successful applicants as they implement their local projects.
"Manitoba has unique and exciting destinations that should be shared with visitors from around the world," said Cullen.