Several sporting organizations got a shot in the arm this month, courtesy of the Yukon government.

Last week, the government released its latest funding numbers, which saw close to $1 million awarded to 17 community organizations.

A total of $930,000 came from the Community Development Fund (CDF) for initiatives that will enhance and contribute to community well-being.

An ice rink in Riverdale is one of the many beneficiaries. The Riverdale Community Association will receive $55,430 to reconstruct and resurface the Liard Park ice rink.

Group president Doug MacLean said he was “pleased” to receive the grant to provide a hard surface and boards for the Liard Park rink.

“This will make it possible for the rink to be used not only in winter for children and youth to skate and play hockey near their homes, but also to play sports like tennis, rollerblading and basketball in the summer,” he said.

“This park is a great location because it’s surrounded by houses, with only a narrow entrance, making for a safe play environment.”

Through these Tier II projects, the CDF will provide nearly 11,000 hours of employment to about 70 people.

“Throughout Yukon, residents are benefitting from projects made possible through the CDF,” said Economic Development Minister Stacey Hassard.

“These investments towards community facilities, events and projects will help Yukoners to continue to enjoy a quality of life that is second to none.”

Other sporting groups receiving funds are listed below:

• Tintina Gun Club – $54,920 – to restore the Tintina shooting range to meet Canadian Firearms Office regulations prior to being certified as an approved shooting range.

• Yukon Handgun Association – $45,720 – to meet safety standards required by law for the 50-metre handgun range and to enhance the range by adding a 200-m range andground baffles for both ranges.

• Snowboard Yukon – $49,200 – to re-shape the ground at the Mt. Sima Coyote Terrain Park to make the jumps safer for athletes, create an early-season national-level training venue and reduce snowmaking, resulting in cost savings.

• Biathlon Yukon – $63,317 – to replace a bridge that has deteriorated to the point where it is no longer safe for public use.

• Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in – $72,074 – to complete the development of a network of single-track mountain bike trails on the Midnight Dome above Dawson City.

• Watson Lake Minor Hockey Association – $29,107 – to host the last stop on the National Hockey League Players Association Goals and Dreams event, the Mike Smith Hockey Tour.

Several other groups also received funding, including the Yukon First Nations Cultural and Tourism Association accepting $74,686 to host a three-day conference on developing cultural tourism and building economies in Yukon First Nations communities.

“Interest in aboriginal cultural tourism is growing globally,” said association chair Shirley Frost. “This conference is focused on exploring how Yukon First Nations communities can use tourism as a way to preserve, revitalize, and share their culture.

“We want to inspire, inform, and connect all delegates. We want them to leave the event knowing and feeling confident in their next steps to contribute to cultural tourism in their communities.”

Other non-sport CDF funding recipients from the May 2015 intake include:

• Jewish Cultural Society of Yukon – $55,000 – to develop archival documentation of the finding, clearing, construction and re-dedication of the Dawson City Jewish Cemetery; to document the contribution of the Jews of the Dawson Gold Rush to North American society; and to create a travelling show of the Jewish presence and influence during and in the years following the Yukon Gold Rush.

• Village of Teslin – $23,400 – to build a new gazebo in Friendship Park, as the current gazebo is falling apart and is becoming unsafe to use.

• Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation – $65,000 – Two locally hired team leaders will work with six youth to upgrade and build four local trails.

• Yukon College – $32,227 – to upgrade and expand its small-scale fish hatchery to increase capacity and educational opportunities, and to better serve First Nations and Yukon residents interested in providing stewardship for salmon resources.

• Village of Carmacks – $39,405 – To create a revitalization plan for outdoor spaces in the community where residents and visitors commonly gather.

• Yukon Historical and Museums Association – $72,750 – to plan and implement a major international conference on the role and contributions of the Yukon and the North during the First World War.

• Hillcrest Community Association – $49,825 – to pave the trail adjacent to the Alaska Highway trail between Burns Road and the northwest corner of the airport fence.

• City of Dawson – $75,000 – to construct new public restrooms for three-season use on the Dawson waterfront.

• Alaska Highway Heritage Society – $75,000 – to collect stories and create an audio-visual inventory from communities along the Alaska Highway corridor for a website and app for travellers, and potentially for highway organizations and businesses needing marketing material and images.