WINNIPEG, MB, March 21, 2025 /CNW/ - The restoration of Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum will help safeguard its structural integrity and preserve its architectural heritage after an investment of $1 million from the federal government.
Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum showcases the history and culture of Manitoba's Francophone and Métis communities. As Winnipeg's oldest building, it helps preserve and share the stories that connect past and present.
Funding will support the rehabilitation and restoration of the museum to address structural degradation and preserve its architectural heritage. These essential upgrades will protect the historic building's integrity, ensuring its long-term sustainability and continued role in showcasing Francophone and Métis history.
Quotes
"Preserving Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum means safeguarding an important piece of Manitoba's Francophone and Métis history. This investment will help restore the building's structural integrity, ensuring it remains a place for learning and connection for generations to come."
The Honourable Dan Vandal, Member of Parliament for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital
"We are incredibly grateful for this funding from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, which will allow us to move forward with critical upgrades to the Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum. This investment will help preserve our historic building—the oldest in Winnipeg on its original foundation—while significantly improving energy efficiency and climate resilience. By modernizing our heating systems, restoring heritage windows, and enhancing the building envelope, we are ensuring that our museum remains a welcoming and sustainable space for generations to come. This project aligns with our mission to safeguard and share the rich Métis and French-Canadian history of Manitoba, while also embracing green infrastructure and inclusivity in our community spaces."
Serge Balcaen, Chairperson for the St. Boniface Museum Board
Quick facts
- The federal government is investing $1 million in this project through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program.
- These enhancements are expected to reduce the facility's energy consumption by an estimated 34.60% and greenhouse gas emissions by 22.5 tonnes annually.
- The GICB program was created in support of Canada's Strengthened Climate Plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. It is supporting the Plan's first pillar by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency, and helping develop higher resilience to climate change.
- The program launched in 2021 with an initial investment of $1.5 billion over five years towards green and accessible retrofits, repairs or upgrades.
- Budget 2024 announced an additional $500 million to support more projects through GICB until 2029.
- At least 10% of funding is allocated to projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, including Indigenous populations in urban centres.
- For more information, please visit the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada website at: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program.
- As the world moves towards a net-zero economy, people living and working on the Prairies are taking action and are leading to take advantage of growing economic development opportunities.
- On December 18, 2023, the federal government launched the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which highlights the need for a collaborative, region-specific approach to sustainability, focusing on strengthening the coordination of federal programs, and initiatives with significant investments. This Framework is a first step in a journey that will bring together multiple stakeholders. PrairiesCan, the federal department that diversifies the economy across the Canadian prairies, has dedicated $100 million over three years to support projects aligned with priority areas identified by Prairie stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable, and inclusive economy for the Prairie provinces and Canada.
- Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is supporting the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies that better meet their needs.
- Project funding is subject to the negotiation and signing of a contribution agreement between the Government of Canada and recipients.
Associated links
Green and Inclusive Community Buildings
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gicb-bcvi/index-eng.html
Strengthened Climate Plan
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html
Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html
Building a Green Prairie Economy Act
https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-9.88/page-1.html
Building a Green Prairie Economy
https://www.canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development/programs/green-prairie-economy.html
Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Web: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Sofia Ouslis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Cindy Desrochers, Executive Director, Le Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum, 204-237-4500 ext. 403, [email protected]
Share this article