A delegation from the Steinbach Arts Council met with Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen and Minister of Culture Rochelle Squires on Thursday to make a case for the Steinbach Performing Arts Centre.

Left to right: Graham Pollock, SAC chair, Eleanor Gingerich, Friends of SPAC fundraising Chair, Minister Rochelle Squires, Sport, Culture and Heritage, Minister Kelvin Goertzen, Minister of Health, Cindi Rempel Patrick, Friends of SPAC Committee member, missing Michelle Sawatzky, Friends of SPAC Committee member.Eleanor Gingerich is the Chair of the Friends of the Steinbach Performing Arts Centre group. She notes included in the delegation was herself, Cindi Rempel Patrick, Graham Pollock, and Michelle Sawatzky. She adds both ministers seemed very interested in the project.

“We are aware that our province and specifically Kelvin himself has had to make a lot of cuts in healthcare, but we know as a committee that there is still funding that is going to be given to arts and culture and recreation so we just hope to be part of that.”

Gingerich says they were glad to be able to present a project that they are so passionate about. She adds both ministers wanted to know how the private fundraising was going.

“They were very interested in hearing how that is going and we could inform them that we have most of that money already committed so we have let them know that if the government money does come through it will be no problem to come up with our part of the money which will be 3 million dollars.”

Gingerich says, unfortunately, they still do not know how much the provincial government will be contributing to the project. She notes it looks as though they are waiting to see how much the federal government is willing to put in before they make any announcements.

“The federal government has not yet decided, or if they have, they have not let us know so their time frame, perhaps it is different than the city has set as the time frame. We are just waiting to see how this will all play out, we are still hoping that this project will receive money from the federal government.”

Gingerich says they were encouraged by their meeting with Kelvin Goertzen and Rochelle Squires. She says they will continue to work hard until funding is announced, adding a Performing Arts Centre would greatly benefit Steinbach and the surrounding area and it is a project worth waiting for.

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