{"id":22104,"date":"2021-06-27T06:49:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-27T09:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=22104"},"modified":"2021-06-27T06:49:41","modified_gmt":"2021-06-27T09:49:41","slug":"building-canadian-youth-cheema-thrilled-with-investment-for-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=22104","title":{"rendered":"\u201cBuilding Canadian Youth\u201d Cheema thrilled with investment for expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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MAIN PHOTO: Cheema commodore Nadine Lamontagne says a few words during the announcement at the Waverley facility on June 26. (Healey photo)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WAVERLEY:<\/strong> An announcement of more than $1.1 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments will allow Cheema Aquatic Club to continue \u201cbuilding Canadian youth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While that is a saying that Frank Garner, the man whose name is on the Frank Garner Boathouse at the Waverley facility, left on The Laker News\u2019 livestream of the announcement, it\u2019s one that Commodore Nadine Lamontagne echoed. She made the comment in media interviews after the joint announcement by MP Darrell Samson and Deputy Premier Kelly Regan on a sunny June 26. HRM Councillor Cathy Deagle Gammon was also at Cheema for the announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m beyond excited for today\u2019s announcement,\u201d said Lamontagne as she stood on one of the docks that stretches from the shoreline of the facility on Champions Way out into Lake Thomas adjacent to McDonald Sports Park. \u201cIt\u2019s a game changer for the youth of our community and the work that we do here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MP Darrell Samson cracks a smile as he talks glowingly about being able to help Cheema nail down the federal funding for their expansion. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Samson was on hand to announce the feds are investing $600,000 from its Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, while Regan announced the province is contributing $500,00 towards the expansion and retrofit of the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The money will be used to lift the roof on the boathouse, put a second floor creating community space, expand the gym that the athletes use for training, and make Cheema a bigger, better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked if they\u2019ve outgrown the location, they are currently in, Lamontagne said they actually have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t actually a second floor in the Boathouse, although it looks like there is,\u201d she said \u201cBoat storage space and open programming space are both at a premium here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s vital that we expand to be able to grow what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said if things all go to plan the hope is for the work to start in a couple of months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping to lift the roof in September,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Samson said any announcement such as the one for Cheema is great. He said the process for the money began about four years from when the initial discussion took place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny canoe club like Cheema is an anchor in that community, and I know Cheema has been and continues to be for many years to come to be an anchor in that community,\u201d said Samson to CBC N.S. and The Laker News in a media. \u201cThey have a lot of history and success, and what we\u2019re doing is helping them modernize their building, helping to create more space and create more opportunities for all to stay healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expansion will allow them to increase the numbers and expand to launch a para-paddling programming; and a program targeting urban Indigenous youth; and to continue to be a good neighbour to the community that it calls home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first floor design. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The new look gym area. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The new look Frank Garner Boathouse from the outside. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Lamontagne expanded on the First Nations programming Cheema is looking to provide. Cheema is a word derived from the Mi\u2019kmaw word. It means \u201cto paddle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur heritage is in the Mi\u2019kmaw culture. Canoeing is in the Mi\u2019kmaw culture. We\u2019re in unceded Mi\u2019kmaw territory,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to be good stewards of that tradition and culture and be part of reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For the para-paddling programming, Cheema will have to buy boats and paddles that are specific for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe building will be fully accessible,\u201d Lamontagne said. \u201cThe program requires special boats, special paddles, special considerations for docks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a great first step for us in realizing that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheema has had eight athletes and two coaches make the Canadian Olympic team, with Michelle Russell the most recent athlete to nab an Olympic spot as she will represent the country in Tokyo this July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Livestream video of the Cheema funding announcement can be found here <\/strong>– https:\/\/fb.watch\/6o085SPCCL\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deputy Premier Kelly Regan. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Regan, who lives in Bedford, knows first-hand what Cheema brings to those who take part in their programs, with her daughter Kate having participated for several summers as a teenager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe learned how to set goals and work hard through the pain. She would come home dog tired,\u201d said Regan. \u201cThe lessons she learned at Cheema she took with her as she went through life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lamontagne recognized the countless volunteers and community members that worked on getting the proposal in to the respectful government agencies for the funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said while Olympians are important, it\u2019s the impact that the club has on building Canadian youth that makes it a success. There are currently more than 400 people between year-round programs and summer programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re proud of our Olympic athletes, but we\u2019re equally as proud of our athletes that we\u2019ve helped to foster and grow, become leaders that are doctors, lawyers, plumbers, volunteers in the community,\u201d said Lamontagne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re extremely proud of everyone that has come through our doors\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orenda Canoe Club in Lake Echo also received funding from the feds ($160,000) and province ($200,000), while HRM also chipped in some ($20,000). It was announced earlier in the day on June 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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[adrotate banner=”127″] [adrotate banner=”93″] MAIN PHOTO: Cheema commodore Nadine Lamontagne says a few words during the announcement at the Waverley facility on June 26. (Healey photo) WAVERLEY: An announcement of more than $1.1 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments will allow Cheema Aquatic Club to continue \u201cbuilding Canadian youth.\u201d While that is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,957],"tags":[736,2314,2,1791,348,2015,16],"class_list":["post-22104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-news","tag-cheema-aquatic-club","tag-deputy-premier-kelly-regan","tag-fall-river","tag-investment","tag-lake-thomas","tag-mp-darrell-samson","tag-waverley"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22104\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}