The pause button has been pressed on the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation’s Revitalize Portage! and Home Beautification grants programs.

Both programs will have no further intakes until PCRC receives additional notice from the provincial government on the status of the Neighbourhoods Alive! development strategy, the organization said in a release today.

“Until that review is complete and the province has released their budget, programming is on pause,” says PCRC community facilitator Victoria Olson. “We have been told the budget should come out sooner rather than later ... hopefully by the end of the province's fiscal year (March), we'll know exactly how to proceed.”

None of the other initiatives PCRC is involved in will be affected by the Neighbourhoods Alive! review, Olson adds. “It's just those two programs that are currently on pause through us. Everything else is business as usual here at PCRC. We are just not accepting any intakes for those programs.”

The Home Beautification grant program allowed homeowners in Portage la Prairie to apply for up to $2,500 for visual exterior improvements. It was available to single income households earning $35,000 or less and multi-income households of $55,000 or less.

The Revitalize Portage! grant program dispersed up to $5,000 to projects that demonstrated community support. It was available to many local groups — clubs, associations, non-profits, schools, school groups, parent advisory groups, church groups and committees — and a wide range of community initiatives could be given consideration.