The federal government has provided $50,000 for improvements to the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Yukon MP Ryan Leef announced today.

The money is coming through the Department of Canadian Heritage's Canada Cultural Spaces Fund.

Leef spoke on behalf of James Moore, the minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

"Our government is pleased to invest in the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, which is  a great place to learn more about Canada's prehistory,” said Leef.

"The research that is ongoing and the fossils and artifacts on display bring ancient Beringia to life, with its unique flora and fauna.”

Funding will support improvements to the centre's infrastructure, including new sound and multimedia equipment, stage curtains and seating.

In addition to allowing audiences to enjoy programming in a modern and fully equipped space, these upgrades will also benefit outside communities.

The centre will use this new equipment to connect with remote locations throughout the territory for shared interpretive activities.

"Our government recognizes the importance of the heritage sector to the economy of our communities,” Moore said in a statement.

"We are pleased to invest in important institutions like this, which increase the vitality of the Whitehorse region, and ensure that residents and visitors alike have access to cultural spaces that reflect the Yukon's rich history.”

"As a cornerstone of Yukon's heritage sector, the Beringia Centre offers vibrant heritage programming while supporting a diverse array of cultural and artistic events,” said Mike Nixon, the Yukon's minister of Tourism and Culture.

"This important investment supports our ongoing efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of Yukon's valuable heritage resources and infrastructure.”

Owned and operated by the territorial government, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre opened in 1997 after having been planned by the late John Ostashek's 1992-96 Yukon Party government.

The centre offers programming focused on the last Ice Age, when the Yukon and Alaska were still geographically connected to Asia, forming a subcontinent known as Beringia.

The federal program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentations or exhibitions.

It's also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing arts, visual arts, media arts, museum collections, and heritage displays.