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North Canaan pursues grants to rebuild pool, upgrade athletic fields

North Canaan pursues grants to rebuild pool, upgrade athletic fields

A summer moment at the North Canaan community pool, a spot officials hope to completely renovate with grant funding.

Madi Long

NORTH CANAAN — Town officials are pursuing a number of grant applications, with a major focus on upgrading North Canaan’s recreation facilities — including a revamped pool and improvements to athletic fields — alongside infrastructure and school projects.

During the April 14 Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Jesse Bunce outlined more than $14 million in grant requests currently under review.

At the center of those efforts is a $2.4 million proposal to overhaul the town’s recreation facilities. Backed by the offices of U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, the request would fund a full rebuild of the town pool, along with renovations to the pool house. The proposal also calls for improvements to the town’s athletic fields and tennis courts, which officials say require upgrades.

Bunce said Murphy’s office contacted the town on April 14, indicating that while the full $2.4 million request may not be funded, some level of funding is likely. “They told us, ‘We’re not sure we can come up with all the money, but we think we can get you some,’” Bunce said, calling it a positive sign.

“We’re trying to go after as many grants as we can,” Bunce added.

Beyond recreation, the town is pursuing several large-scale infrastructure projects. Among them is an $8 million federal grant focused on a townwide resilience effort, including drainage improvements and flood mitigation along Old Turnpike South and the Blackberry River corridor.

The town is also seeking $1.5 million through the congressional appropriations process to replace the middle school roof. Bunce said the application has advanced beyond the initial stage and is now under consideration in Congress with support from U.S. Rep. Jahanna Hayes, D-Conn., whose 5th Congressional District includes North Canaan.

The town has also applied for a $1.85 million grant through the state’s Transportation Rural Improvement Program (TRIP), which helps smaller municipalities fund road and infrastructure projects.

The funds would be used for repaving roads and addressing drainage issues along West Main Street, Pease Street and Bragg Street near the elementary school.

Christian Murray
Executive Editor

Christian Murray is executive editor of The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News. A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, he is a veteran journalist, founding the Queens Post and its network of neighborhood news sites—including the Sunnyside Post, Astoria Post, LIC Post and Jackson Heights Post—and helping pioneer hyperlocal digital journalism in New York City. Before joining LJMN in 2025, he served as managing editor at Schneps Media, overseeing amNewYork, the Queens Courier, the Bronx Times and other local publications. Earlier in his career, Murray was a political reporter for Newsday and a business reporter for Reuters. A native of New Zealand, he says northwest Connecticut reminds him of the landscapes where he grew up—a connection that made the region feel like home from the start.

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