Canada, Ontario, and Peel invest over $800,000 into PAMA

August 26, 2021 · 0 Comments

By Rob Paul

As Canadians across the country feel the impacts of COVID-19, the Federal and Provincial governments are prioritizing enhancing Canadian’s quality of life while meeting the needs of communities and promoting job creation and making investments to address the impacts of the pandemic.

On August 13, Sonia Sidhu, MP for Brampton South, Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South, Amarjot Sandhu, MPP for Brampton West, and Nando Iannicca, Regional Chair of Peel announced joint funding to improve ventilation at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in Brampton on behalf of the Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure.

“Protecting the health and well-being of Canadians, as well as our cultural institutions, is vital to ensuring the success of our communities,” said Sidhu. “Upgrades to the ventilation system at the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives will enhance visitor experience and better protect museum collections, providing a safe and more comfortable space for residents and tourists to enjoy quality culture and heritage programming. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”

The Government of Canada is investing more than $322,000 in the project through the Community, Culture, and Recreation Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is providing over $268,000 and the Regional Municipality of Peel is contributing more than $214,000—in total over $800,000 is being invested in PAMA.

“Arts and culture are receiving a huge boost with the announcement of an investment in the local Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives, right here in Brampton,” said Sandhu. “The HVAC project, including an investment of over $268,000 from the province, will allow them to improve their year-round visitor experience. Supporting arts and culture will be crucial in our community and across the province as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The project work will upgrade PAMA’s heating, air conditioning, and ventilation system to create a more comfortable environment for visitors.

The funding will also support improvements to the building’s envelope (infrastructure that protects buildings from the elements) to help reduce future costs due to building repairs and painting mechanical equipment.

“We are grateful for the support of Infrastructure Canada and Ontario funding to upgrade the airflow systems at the historic Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives,” Iannicca said. “This construction project will see improved air quality to enhance visitor experience and to ensure the safeguarding of collections for years to come.”

The improvements will allow PAMA to provide a safer and better experience for visitors by reducing the need to limit the number of guests in each exhibit and preventing facility closures due to uncomfortable temperature levels.

Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Federal Government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

The Government of Canada has invested over $14.4 billion in more than 3,900 infrastructure projects across Ontario under the Investing in Canada plan.