T’was the season of giving at the June 19 Columbia Shuswap Regional District board meeting.
Several electoral area organizations received substantial grants-in-aid from the regional district’s Electoral Area’s Grant-in-Aid budget from the 2025-2029 Five-Year Financial Plan.
The board approved allocations to Electoral Areas A, C, D, E, F and G totalling $75,250, as well as another $9,875 in which directors agreed to waive policy for three other grants-in-aid.
In Area A, $17,500 was allocated, with $5,000 for the Field Recreation Advisory Association for the restoration of St. Joseph’s Church phase one; $2,500 to the Golden Dolphins Summer Swim Club for pool rental for a swim meet; $8,000 to the Golden Women’s Resource Centre to offset operating costs; $2,000 to the Living Lakes Canada Society to support groundwater monitoring in Golden.
Grants-in-aid in the amount of $14,000 were approved for Area C, with $4,000 allocated to the Eagle Bay Fire Department for the Junior Firefighter Challenge on Aug. 9; $500 to support the Salmon Arm Secondary School Dry Grad; The South Shuswap Canada Day Society will receive $3,000 for a fireworks display and associated costs; $2,500 was approved for the Sunnybrae Community Association annual building and director insurance and $4,000 was approved for a White Lake Firefighters Society Halloween event.
In Area D, a $500 grant-in-aid goes to the Salmon Arm Secondary School Dry Grad event; $2,000 was approved for the Salmon River Valley Business Society to create a branding kit and $2,000 was approved for a Silver Creek Firefighters Association fire prevention and open house for a total of $4,500.
In Area E, grants-in-aid to the tune of $9,500 were approved – $500 for the Shuswap Mara Lakes Decibel Coalition Society’s Public Awareness & Safety Event; $1,000 to the Shuswap Paws Rescue Society for its spay/neuter, tag and release cats program; the Swansea Point Fire Fighters Association will receive $7,000 for their 50th anniversary celebration and another $1,000 was approved for he Deep-Water Quests Society to help with operating costs.
Area F grants-in-aid totalled $6,500, with $2,000 going to the Celista Fire Association’s Community Rekindle Event; $2,000 for costs associated with the North Shuswap Timber days event; $1,000 for the Rural Shuswap Housing Society to develop schematic drawings for a housing project; $500 for the Salmon Arm Secondary School Dry Grad; $500 to the Shuswap Association of Writers for the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival and $500 to the Shuswap Mara Lakes Decibel Coalition Society for a Public Awareness & Safety Event.
Grants-in-aid in Area G totalled $23,250, including $1,000 for the Rural Shuswap Housing Society to develop schematic drawings for a housing project; $250 for the Salmon Arm Secondary School Dry Grad; $500 to the Shuswap Association of Writers for the Word on the Lake Writers’ Festival; $500 for the Shuswap Mara Lakes Decibel Coalition Society’s Public Awareness & Safety Event; $2,000 to the Shuswap Paws Rescue Society for its spay/neuter, tag and release cats program; $18,000 to the South Shuswap Canada Day Society for a fireworks display and associated costs and $1,000 to support the Deep-Water Quests Society’s operating costs.
Directors also agreed to waive the policy regarding applications to allow for a grant-in-aid of $2,875.58 to the Parson Community Hall Society for Internet upgrades and Starlink.
In her report to the board, Jessica Plowman, Grants and Procurement Facilitator, noted that the Parson Community Hall Society received a $5,200 grant-in-aid in May and later realized they forgot to include the Internet upgrades in that application.
Directors also agreed to waive the policy in Area C to fund a $5,000 Tappen Sunnybrae Firefighters Association Jonathon Bruce Memorial Scholarship and another $2,000 grant-in-aid for the scholarship in Area G.
Tappen Sunnybrae Firefighters Association received a $4,000 Grant-in-Aid in May and were advised to apply for additional grant-in-aid for a scholarship program in honour of the fallen junior firefighter.
