BY JASON THOMPSON
It was a busy day for Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci Monday, hosting two separate press conferences and doling out more than $1.8 million.
In the morning, Bartolucci announced $374,000 in Ontario Trillium Foundation grants for six local groups including the Brain Injury Association of Sudbury and District ($78,000), Sudbury Branch of the Canadian Red Cross ($63,000), Sudbury Safe Community's Coalition ($80,000), New Hope Outreach Services ($40,000), Sudbury Symphony Orchestra Association ($59,000) and the Sudbury Synchro Swim Club ($20,000).
"I'm very pleased the Ontario Trillium Foundation saw fit to award the grants to these
individual groups," said Bartolucci, commenting on the diversity among the six groups.
"We go from the Brain Injury Association to the synchronized swimming . . . It (grant money) covers a pretty wide gamut."
Representatives from the different groups said the money will go a long way towards bolstering the quality of the services and programs they provide, in addition to creating a few job opportunities.
With their two-year grant, the Sudbury branch of the Red Cross will hire a capacity development coordinator, in order to help recruit and train more volunteers and to develop new fundraising strategies.
The city's Safe Community Coalition says they will use their grant to create a new full-time position within the volunteer-run organization. The new hire will work with other community organizations to increase the scope of the work being done and to spread the safety message.
"We're a relatively new organization and I know that this money we've received will be of invaluable assistance in helping us achieve our goal of making the city of Greater Sudbury the safest place in the world to live, work and play by commitment to training, education and injury prevention," said Tony Ingram, co-chair of the Safe Community's Coalition.
The Sudbury Symphony Orchestra's executive director Marg Barry said she'll also create a new position by hiring a fundrasing development officer officer to help the the Sudbury Conservatory of Music achieve artistic and financial sustainability through the school of music.
"With the development of the conservatory of music, we bring professional musicians in to build the base of symphony but they can't live off what the symphony affords to pay them so we develop the school of music," said Barry.
"The school music will expand therefore the symphony will expand and eventually it will become a more professional group."
The grant money will also buy the Sudbury Synchro Swimmers an underwater sound system, and a security system for the Samaritan Centre.
Monday afternoon, Bartolucci made an announcement for $1.5 million in diagnostic and medical equipment, part of a larger, $83.5 million province-wide investment to reduce wait times and replace old equipment.
In Sudbury, funding includes general and forensic lab services, general diagnostic and safety equipment for long-term care home, 92 new bed lifts for long-term care homes , 29 bed lifts for the hospital and land ambulances.
$20,000 of the total funding will go towards the Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre to upgrade their medical and diagnostic capabilities.
"This investment will reduce wait time and provide the quality of care that patients in Greater Sudbury deserve," said Bartolucci. "It will also ensure that all Sudburians have better access to the services they need."
