Westlock County will hand out $120,028.67 in the year’s first round of community grants to groups and organizations around the region, including the Linaria and District Ag Society, which operates the Linaria Arena.
The ag society will receive $35,000 to help cover operational expenses at the arena, which offers not only recreational opportunities for locals, but also provides an additional ice surface for the many hockey teams in the region to use.
Ag Society directors Zach Olthuis and Caleb Wierenga presented to council in September, asking for a contribution of $35,000 to cover utilities and diesel for the ice plant’s generator.
The Alberta government grants the ag society $29,000; $35,000 comes from ice fees; $17,000 from fundraising; and $5,000 from a casino every two years.
“Grants are not a huge benefit to us because they’re just for funding for new projects. There’s really nothing available for operating costs. This year the money received by the ag society went to cover last year’s debt,” said Olthuis at the September meeting, pointing out that utility and diesel costs have increased to the point where it is no longer viable to operate the arena.
Reeve Lou Hall noted that all applicants for the spring granting program were funded at 100 per cent, with the addition of $30,000 from reserves to cover the total costs.
The budget was $90,000, but with reserves added in the county was able to satisfy the needs of all 13 organizations that applied.
“It’s all going back into the community,” she said.
Among the other organizations receiving grant funding from the county, the Busby Community League will get $15,915 in four separate grants to cover the costs of upgrading the sports grounds, parking lot and bleachers. More than $11,000 will go towards the replacement of the septic tank at the hall.
Meanwhile the Busby Volunteer Fire Association get $9,016 to pay for a sign and flag poles.
The Hope Resource Centre and Canadian Tractor Museum are each the beneficiaries of a $10,000 operating grant, while the Dapp Community Council gets $9,200.
STARS Air Ambulance will receive a $7,220 operating grant and the Pickardville Community League will receive $6,673.
The Vimy and District Lions Club will see $5,000 for skating building renovations and the Westlock and District Food Bank will receive the same. Westlock Parent Link will also benefit from a $3,000 grant for operations.
The Hazel Bluff Community Ag Society will receive $2,063 for well abandonment along with $1,689 to upgrade the parking lot.
The Raymond and District Futures Society will also receive an operational grant for $252 for a farm safety school program.
The county recently changed the way they hand out grant money throughout the year, opting to set two deadlines for applicants, one in March and one in September, before the first draft budget is finalized.
