by KORIE MARSHALL
Valemount Council approved all but one of the seven applications to the Columbia Basin Trust’s CIP/AAP grant program this year.
At last week’s regular meeting Council approved all recommendations from the local adjudication committee for CBT’s Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Program. The committee, made up of local people, vets the applications and makes recommendations which are then approved by Council.
The six organizations to receive the full funding requested are:
Canoe Valley Community Association ($32,837 for the Active Living Kids Pilot Project, Phase 2);
Valemount and Area Recreation Development Association ($50,000 for Valemount Mountain Bike Park Developments);
Valemount Public Library Association ($60,000 for basement renovations);
Valemount Community Sports Day Association ($6,200 for a Community and Children’s Festival Initiative);
Valemount Legion Branch 266 ($24,783 for continued upgrades to the Legion Hall including accessible washrooms);
and Valemount Learning Society ($12,988 for operational costs for V-Crew Youth Centre).
Valemount Lions Club was refused $2,940 for an electrical room upgrade to prepare for solar panels, on the grounds that the application did not include a proper work plan for the entire project showing how the room meets the standards required to house solar power storage. One member of the adjudication opposed the recommendation.
New funding from CBT this year for the program was around $260,000. Funding not applied for or used last year was rolled over, making a total of $304,438 available this year. With only $186,808 approved this year, over $117,000 will be rolled over and added to the pot available in 2017, bringing it to over $377,000.
The Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs are CBT’s longest running programs, and are designed to support projects identified as priorities within individual communities. They are intended to be flexible, and incorporate community based funding decisions to better meet local priorities. All areas in the basin receive Community Initiatives funding, and areas most affected by the construction of Columbia River Treaty dams, including Valemount, also receive Affected Area funding. Applications are received by local governments, who also specify eligibility requirements.
