Child care and transportation. Those were two of the major focuses of a presentation from the Portage Community Revitalization Corporation this week, as they discussed the findings from the momentum project. They presented the facts and figures to Portage la Prairie city council Monday night, highlighting their work over the years to identify major barriers facing women when it comes to economic security.

Executive Director Val Garlick outlined the need for more child care spaces within the city, noting it's an investment in the local economy. She indicated statistics show for every dollar spent on child care $1.58 is returned to the local economy. While many initiatives over the past year have seen the increase of child care spaces, Garlick notes there's still work to be done.

"I think it's a whole community effort, child care doesn't just appear. It's a partnership built between all these different groups of people that want to see it happen. So the provincial government has stepped up with new funding for the spaces at North Memorial School, but certainly our community as a whole can come together to recognize the importance child care has for the families in our community."

Meanwhile transportation continues to be a barrier for those working or seeking to further their education in the city. The PCRC report indicated 21 per cent of Portage citizens lack access to reliable transportation, impacting youth, lower income residents, seniors, immigrants, and businesses seeking employment. While shuttles are available in the city, their report outlined that could cost between $200 and $400 per month, meaning it's not a viable solution for many.

To combat that challenge the report outlined the need for public transportation options in the city. They used examples of communities with populations near, or lower than Portage la Prairie to show others in the province have public transportation in place. The issue of implementing public transportation has come up in the past, and Mayor Irvine Ferris indicates it's often a challenging issue. Citing the example of Selkirk outlined in the report, Ferris says it could mean much more money coming out of the city's annual budget.

"There's no public transportation system that supports itself, it's always subsidized by the local government, just one level, They provided examples, such as Selkirk's been running one for the past couple of years, and this is the first time I've heard a cost on it. The cost to their municipal government, with the information we got tonight, was $90,000 per year."

Overall Ferris says he's pleased to see the findings from the Momentum project, adding they have much to think about regarding reducing those barriers in the community.