Ontario Investing in Upgrades and Repairs to Local Community Facilities

$464,400 investment in Durham Region will ensure people have access to vital children and
social services in safe and accessible spaces

DURHAM —The Ontario government is investing $464,400 for necessary building upgrades and repairs to nine children and social services agencies in the Durham Region. This funding is part of the government’s $21.6 million investment this year to ensure that agencies across the province continue to connect people to support in safe, accessible facilities.

“Our local children’s and social services organizations are the heart of our community,” said MPP Todd McCarthy. “Our government is proud to be funding these repairs and upgrades, ensuring that Durham’s most vulnerable residents have access to high quality social support in state-of-the-art facilities close to home.”

Funding through the Partner Facility Renewal program is provided to agencies, such as shelters for women and children, homes that provide daily support for people with developmental disabilities, facilities for survivors of human trafficking, and facilities for children and youth with special needs.

This year, 642 projects across the province are being funded to address essential maintenance and infrastructure repairs such as upgrading accessibility ramps and lifts, installing security systems and retrofitting kitchen and washroom spaces.

In Durham Region, the following agencies are receiving funding:

• Abilities Centre will help replace one of the south doors.
• The Participation House Project will help install automatic door openers to six barrier free units occupied by people in wheelchairs who have mobility needs.
• The Ajax Pickering Women’s Centre Inc. will help complete interior painting.
• Community Living Oshawa/Clarington will help repair their foundation.
• Bethesda-House of Mercy (Bowmanville) will help replace four furnaces in their emergency shelter and outreach building.
• Community Living Ajax-Pickering and Whitby will help create a partition for self-contained space.
• Community Living Durham North will help install generators.
• Murray McKinnon Foundation will help build exterior hardscaping and build security system upgrades.
• Oshawa Young Women’s Christian Association will help build exterior hardscaping, interior painting, plumbing upgrades, replace an emergency generator and renovate a washroom.

QUOTES

“Community agencies make our province stronger and more vibrant by connecting people to the services they need, where they need it” said Michael Parsa, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. “Our government is investing in hundreds of local community agencies so that they can spend more time helping people and less time worrying about building repairs.”

“Our community agency partners support thousands of the most vulnerable members in
our community,” said Patrice Barnes, MPP for Ajax. “This investment demonstrates our government’s commitment to support vital service providers, so they in turn have the resources to support those who need it the most in Ajax and across the Durham Region.”

“Ensuring that our community agencies are well-maintained and fully operational is essential to providing top-quality programs and services to residents of Whitby and Durham Region. With an investment of $464,400, we are enabling local children’s and social services agencies in Whitby and across the Region of Durham to continue offering safe and accessible facilities,” said Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby and Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier. “This funding guarantees that residents in need can access the excellent programs our agencies provide in secure and welcoming environments.”

“Our government is proud to contribute $124,200 through the Partner Facility Renewal Grant Program to Community Living Ajax-Pickering and Whitby, helping to ensure their facilities remain safe and welcoming for individuals with developmental disabilities.,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge. “This investment reflects our commitment to modernizing infrastructure while fostering inclusive communities where everyone can thrive.”

QUICK FACTS

• This year, as part of the Partner Facility Renewal Program, the government is investing a total
of $21.68 million in 642 projects at 181 community agencies across the province.
• Community agencies deliver vital programs related to anti-human trafficking, autism, child
welfare, children’s mental health, developmental services, child development, Indigenous health and wellness, interpreter and intervenor services, violence against women and youth justice services.
• Approximately 19,000 adults with developmental disabilities received supportive living services
in 2022-23.
• In 2022-23, more than 61,000 children and youth received community-based rehabilitation
services, such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech- language pathology.
• In addition, nearly 83,000 students received school-based rehabilitation services from
children’s treatment centres.
• Over the past five years, Ontario’s emergency women’s shelters served an average of 14,300 women and their dependents each year.