| Government funding for a major arts centre is inching closer to reality, but won’t be formalized at least until later this month.
For the second time in as many weeks, on November 10 city council postponed a decision regarding funding for the Calgary Centre for the Visual Arts, a major gallery and arts centre planned to open in two downtown heritage buildings owned by Telus. The city is waiting for confirmation of federal government support before committing more than $4 million to help buy the buildings to house the art centre.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier says he received verbal support for the project from the federal government, but hasn’t received formal confirmation. As a result, city council will wait for that confirmation before making its own decision. The provincial government has already confirmed its support.
If that federal support is received, however, city council must still vote to approve municipal funding, which is far from assured because the city is facing financial constraints in its day-to-day operations.
Homelessness
A facility to provide free health services to homeless Calgarians was opened by the Mustard Seed Street Ministry on November 13.
The facility, funded by a $33,900 donation from Great-West Life and $25,000 from the Calgary Foundation, is designed to offer health services to complement existing services offered by other homeless organizations throughout the city. Part of the goal of the facility, according to a Mustard Seed press release, is to "encourage the development of long-term strategies to help people successfully transition to a sustainable and independent lifestyle."
The new facility is called the Great-West Life Health Centre and is located at 106, 11th Avenue S.W.
Meanwhile, another agency also opened a new facility for the poor on the same day.
Horizon Housing Society celebrated its grand opening of nine new apartments offered at affordable rates to people living with mental illnesses.
The apartments are located at Horizon’s nine-story building at 723, 14th Street S.W. and was funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Calgary Homeless Foundation and the federal and provincial governments.
There are up to 150 people with mental illnesses on a waiting list for supported housing according to Horizon. |
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