Friday, July 15, 2022 “For Immediate Release”
Statement from The City of Humboldt on
APPLICATION FOR ICIP FUNDING FOR BRONCOS TRIBUTE CENTRE UNSUCCESFUL
Humboldt, SK – On April 5, 2021, the Humboldt Broncos Memorials Committee, comprised of members of the 2017-2018 Broncos families, Humboldt Broncos Board members, Humboldt Public Art committee members, together with the City of Humboldt, unveiled their vision for a Humboldt Broncos Tribute Centre and Roadside Memorial. Since then, DCG Philanthropic along with a number of volunteers at the local, provincial and national levels have supported the fundraising campaign to raise funds for the project.
On Friday, May 6, 2022, City of Humboldt Administration submitted an application for partial funding of the project through a joint Provincial and Federal initiative known as the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (“ICIP”). The ICIP application was for 73%, or $25,550,000, of the estimated $35,000,000.
ICIP applications are a 2-step process. The Saskatchewan Ministry of Government Relations reviews all applications on a province-wide basis before sending their recommended projects to the Federal government for final consideration and approval.
Recently, the City received notification from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Government Relations that, although eligible, due to the total number of applications and funding requests exceeding the amount of funds available our application was not selected and will not be forwarded to the Federal government.
Although this does represent a setback to the timelines of the project, the City intends to continue working with the Provincial and Federal Governments to find the appropriate grant program that can assist with this project.
“This is a disappointment. However, we can appreciate that there were other applicants whose needs are similar, perhaps on a smaller scale,” said Mayor Behiel. “The needs identified through the feasibility studies illustrated that our growing community will need an additional ice surface, as well as conference and convention space, so we will evaluate our options to continue moving forward in planning for a new facility.”
“The significance of this project cannot be overlooked. The purpose and meaning of a Tribute Centre goes far beyond what some may imagine. It will not only meet the needs of the community, but also recognize the support from all over the world, the resiliency of the families and the community and be an appropriate tribute to those involved in the tragedy,” said Kurt Leicht, father of Jacob Leicht, one of the 16 who lost their life in the bus tragedy, and a member of the Humboldt Broncos Memorials Committee.
Although the ICIP funding would have ensured a faster construction and completion schedule, the City and the Humboldt Broncos Memorials Committee remain passionate about the vision of a Roadside Memorial at the site of the tragedy and of the Broncos Tribute Centre in Humboldt. We are confident that these projects are the right things to do and will benefit all of the community of Humboldt and stand as an inspiration to those who come to visit.
The City of Humboldt and the Humboldt Broncos Memorials Committee thank everyone for their continued support.
For more information about the Broncos Tribute Campaign, go to: https://broncostributecampaign.com/.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Penny Lee
Communications Manager, City of Humboldt
Phone: 306.682.2525, ext. 330
E-mail: penny.lee@humboldt.ca