$500000 a good investment – Winnipeg Free Press

March 9, 2015

The leaders of the Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg were as surprised as anyone when then-federal heritage minister Jean Charest cut a cheque for $500,000 allowing that group to purchase the old CP Rail station on Higgins Avenue in 1992.

Almost 25 years later, Charest and his then-colleague, former Tory MP Dorothy Dobbie, were invited back Wednesday to see what has been built from that initial modest federal funding.

Not only is it still in business — now called the Neeginan Centre — it has provided training, jobs, housing, child care and health-and-wellness services for thousands of aboriginal people in the city.

It’s absorbed a neighbouring building (a former auto-repair shop) and built another 20,000 square feet of training space as well as student housing for close to 100.

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