Punjab Cultural Centre (Winnipeg)
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Winnipeg 49° 53' 43.93" N, 97° 8' 18.45" W Group
The Punjabi communities in Winnipeg have joined hands to embark on a progressive journey to fulfill the dream for a Punjab cultural centre. This centre will serve the need in the community for a gathering place offering cultural connections and celebration, the opportunity to communicate in the Punjabi language and a connection to their culture.
The concept for a multi-function cultural centre was initiated in 2001. The Manitoba Sikh Cultural and Senior’s Centre (MSCSC), the organizing body for the centre, was formed as an alliance of fifteen Manitoba Sikh and Punjab organizations. The MSCSC then joined forces with the Panjab Foundation of Manitoba and together these two organizations have shared its developmental responsibility.
Our vision encompasses the key objectives below that reflect the wide ranging cultural roots, customs and activities within the Indo-Canadian community in Winnipeg.
Objectives for the Centre
- Develop a welcoming atmosphere for seniors in order to combat isolation, link them to their past and within the community and to empower them by offering information, tools and financial assistance.
- Provide social activities to youth so that they are exposed to the culture, linked with seniors and gain a social network.
- Provide day care services to the community which will support families and can be utilized as a way to link seniors to children.
- Provide information, job support, entertainment, social connections and cultural activities to members of the Centre as well as the community at large.
- Develop a social support network, connections and information for women.
- Provide supports for new immigrants arriving in Winnipeg
Cultural Diversity
Manitoba is a culturally diverse province. Winnipeg is poised to be on the forefront of world-wide acceptance as being a multi-national cultural centre. Folklorama, the largest celebration of multi-culturalism of its kind, has become an annual event every summer in Winnipeg. Now, with the success of our first annual Punjab Pavillion, we will be able to share our culture with many more Manitobans. The Punjab Centre will only assist us with promoting our culture and provide a strong central location for all to become more involved within our community and beyond.
There is also a strong trend towards cultural centre development in order to celebrate, recognize and share the many cultures represented within Winnipeg. With proper positioning and public relations, the Punjab Centre has the ability to become a very well recognized cultural centre within Manitoba.
Indo-Canadian community
The centre will provide services to the internal Punjabi and Indo-Canadian community as well as the general public. The internal market would include Indo-Canadians, people of South Asian heritage, related organizations and businesses. In total the estimated Indo-Canadian population in Winnipeg is estimated at approximately 20,000 people. A majority of this population is geographically near the Inkster/Borrow area, in proximity of where the Centre will be located. By expanding services to the external community through programs, tours, and events we will also be providing a venue for our culture to be shared with the larger community in Winnipeg.
The Punjab Centre
The Punjab Centre committee has completed extensive research on the costs to develop such a complex. In 2007, the community acquired a 26,000 square ft building (Brookside Collegiate) on a 3.674 acres of land for approximately $1,000,000. The Centre is located at 1770 King Edward Street. The name of the centre shall be the Punjab Cultural Centre (The “Punjab Centre”).
The expected costs of constructing the Centre are approximately $6 million dollars. These costs are being addressed through various government funding sources, financing and ongoing fundraising activities. It is imperative as construction continues that fundraising efforts intensify. We are looking towards long term security and viability of the Centre through additional fundraising efforts throughout Canada.
As we now move forward, the emphasis in the short term will be on re-configuring and expanding our building to suit its new purpose. In doing so, there will extensive construction occurring at the site for the next year. During this time, we will be expanding the footprint of the building by adding additional hall space, a new and modern kitchen and a restaurant. In addition, there will be a complete retrofit of the existing space to meet the needs of the space.
While the facility itself is efficiently laid out with good use of common space as well as lots of flexibility of function, the changes contemplated will only enhance the use of the building. For example, the Reception Hall (located at the entrance of the Great Hall) can act as the reception area for large functions and can also be rented out on its own for smaller functions. This hall acts as a major passage from one side of the facility to the other, eliminating the need for a hallway.
There are also various commercial spaces that will be rented to a variety of tenants and a restaurant space that will generate a guaranteed revenue stream. These tenants will expand the services available at the center and will increase traffic to the centre. The centre is also able to rent its function rooms out to the general public for private events.
Revenues and expenses have been researched to ensure there is a realistic plan for sustainability. The financial position of the Punjab Cultural Centre is very promising. The great commitment from the community, government and corporate sectors shows the depth of the desire for the Centre and will lead to on-going support.
It is the aspiration of the Punjab Centre team that our community shall continue to raise its profile and significance with Manitoba. The next step towards achieving this is providing a Cultural Centre to showcase our culture. This is what every other successful community in Winnipeg has done and now is our time to take our rightful place in this cultural mosaic.
We invite the entire community to get involved with this exciting project so that it can be as successful as possible. This shall be a legacy project for future generations and beyond to take pride in.