MANITOWANING—With government funding having been approved, Assiginack council is putting out a tender for design and estimated costs for an Assiginack Arts and Entertainment Centre.
Mayor Brenda Reid told The Expositor after a special council meeting held November 28, “when the former council was in a lame duck position with the election, it had a committee look at the possibility of an addition being put on the Manitowaning arena.”
Mayor Reid explained that the former council had applied for money for architectural work design and estimated costs for the arts and entertainment centre and was approved for funding during the previous council’s lame duck situation. Alton Hobbs, township CAO and deputy clerk signed the papers on behalf of the municipality accepting the funding on behalf of the municipality. The funding of $168,000 was approved with the municipality’s share of the costs for design being $46,000.
“Council agreed that we put out a tender for an architect to prepare the design and estimated costs for the building,” said Mayor Reid. “It is always good to have projects like this being shovel ready.”
The committee looked at an extension being constructed on the end of the Manitowaning arena for the arts and entertainment centre. “Therefore, we would not need washroom construction because they are already located in the arena,” said Mayor Reid.
“There are a lot of groups and individuals involved in the committee and we are looking for input from the groups and users of the arena on what they would like to see in the new centre,” said Mayor Reid.
