Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover has decided what to do with more than one million dollars that fell on its lap this summer.

In early August, the municipality learned that it would be receiving more than $1.3 million in provincial funding. The Minister of Municipal Relations informed the municipality that this one-time funding was being provided for municipalities to invest in local priorities that may include mitigating high levels of inflation on existing projects or initiating new projects. 

The funding was from the $39.9 million remaining in the Strategic Infrastructure Basket available to municipalities outside of Winnipeg.

Hanover Reeve Jim Funk says Council has now decided what to do with the funding. Funk says $1 million will be going toward the Hanover Community Development Corporation (HCDC). More specifically, Funk says the HCDC has purchased land west of Mitchell, where this money could be used.

"We would like to put that money towards that land for the future," he explains. "May it be a sportsplex or whatever it may be, wherever we find fit that we could use some of that land."

The remaining $319,970.54 will be deposited into the RM of Hanover's General Recreation Reserve. Funk says some of that money will likely go toward the new ice plant at the Mitchell Arena.

Meanwhile, Funk says this funding announcement came completely out of the blue. However, he notes it is very much appreciated and the money will be put to good use.