The governments of Canada, Ontario and the City of Toronto, announced funding for the construction of the Tamil Community Centre in Scarborough, Ontario.

The federal government is investing over $14.3 million in this project through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream (CCRIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $11.9 million, while the Tamil Community Centre is contributing over $9.6 million. The City of Toronto has contributed land valued at $25 million to the project in the form of a long-term land lease at a minimal cost of $1 plus HST in annual rent.

“In partnership with the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, the Tamil Community Centre project will help address the gap in services available to the Tamil community in northeast Scarborough, a historically underserved area of Toronto,” said Siva Vimalachandran, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Tamil Community Centre. “The Tamil Community Centre will also streamline services to the communities living in the neighbourhood, including Indigenous, Black, and Caribbean and other racialized communities.”

The project will see the construction of a multi-purpose facility that will meet the needs of many local residents, including the diverse Tamil Community in the Greater Toronto Area. A gym and outdoor playing fields will improve access to recreational opportunities for the community, while a new library, museum, auditorium and multi-purpose spaces will help facilitate educational and cultural opportunities and events.

“The new Tamil Community Centre will create jobs, give the community access to recreational and cultural spaces, connect the community to quality programs and services, and provide access to educational opportunities for everyone in the community,” stated Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister of Finance.

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“The Tamil Community Centre will be a new space for members of our Tamil community to connect and be active, and it will also provide much needed recreational and community infrastructure for residents in the community to enjoy for years to come,” added Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure.

“This new community centre will serve the Tamil community, provide new opportunities to socialize and be a valuable resource to help improve vital services to the entire community,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “I want to thank the federal and provincial governments for investing in Scarborough and for helping us build a centre that I know will become a hub within the neighbourhood.”

Featured image: The Tamil Community Centre will be constructed on this plot of land in Scarborough, Ontario.

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