Ontario Provides Support to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Transgender, Two Spirit, Plus People

Ontario Provides Support to Honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Transgender, Two Spirit, Plus People

Over $230,000 provincial investment will help redevelop green space

March 11, 2022

Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry

KENORA – The Ontario government is providing $230,625 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to the City of Kenora to build Rotary Peace Park. This investment will help redevelop a green space as a place to reflect and honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and transgender, two spirit, plus (MMIWGT2S+) people.

“Our government is bringing more awareness to the violence against Indigenous women and girls and transgender, two spirit, plus people,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry and Minister of Indigenous Affairs. “Today’s investment is a tangible commitment of respect, reflection and reconciliation.”

The project is a partnership between the City of Kenora, Kenora Rotary Club and Wabaseemoong Independent Nation. NOHFC funding will be used to redevelop an underutilized, centrally located, 11,000 square-foot green space into a fully landscaped, accessible park overlooking Lake of the Woods. Rotary Peace Park will include a peace pole and monument honouring MMIWGT2S+ people.

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects – big and small, rural and urban – that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $473 million in 4,244 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.5 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,600 jobs.

Quick Facts

  • In February 2021, the Ontario government launched new and improved NOHFC programs that support more projects in rural northern communities and make it easier for more people and businesses to apply. The programs target existing and emerging markets, provide more work opportunities for Indigenous people and address the skilled labour shortage in the North.

Quotes

“The Rotary Peace Park Committee is very pleased that we were successful in our NOHFC funding application from the Ontario government. This generous amount now allows us to enhance our plans as to what will be included in Rotary Peace Park. Many thanks to Minister Greg Rickford for all his work.”

– John Dahl
Rotary Peace Park Committee Member and Past President of the Kenora Rotary Club

“The City of Kenora is thankful to the Ontario government for supporting this exciting project in our community. With this funding, Rotary Peace Park will be developed on the shores of Lake of the Woods in the downtown area and will feature a unique missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and transgender, two spirit, plus people monument along with a peace pole. This new park has monumental significance in our community and will provide a respectful, peaceful location for everyone.”

– Daniel Reynard
Mayor of Kenora

Additional Resources

  • Pathways to safety – learn about the Ontario government’s plan to address the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, children and two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus (2SLGBTQQIA+) people.

Related Topics

Home and Community

Information for families on major life events and care options, including marriage, births and child care. Also includes planning resources for municipalities. Learn more

Rural and North

Information about the province’s Far North and rural communities. Get connected to business improvement organizations and learn more about funding and programs that support rural, northern and Indigenous communities. Learn more