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Demand strong for Red Deer County community funding program

Since 2007, county has doled out $2.5 million for rural community facilities
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The historic train station in Benalto was among the projects to get funding from Red Deer County this week. Benalto Booster Club members Angie Schickerowski, Karen Turner-Padley and Dave More walk from the train station in Benalto. (Red Deer Advocate file photo)

Red Deer County council calls it some of its best spent money.

However, the $250,000 set aside annually for the Rural Community Facility Capital Assistance Grant has remained the same since it was introduced in 2007.

Council members suggested this week it may be time for that to change.

“I believe this is one of the best programs we have in Red Deer County,” said Mayor Jim Wood as council doled out the $250,000 to 16 community groups.

Coun. Jean Bota echoed the importance of the program to rural communities.

“This is about community support and revitalizing a lot of these communities,” she said.

Since it was started, just over $2.5 million has been handed out to help in the maintenance and upkeep of county facilities, such as community halls and arenas.

A typical project is a $104,000 initiative by the Cottonwood-Gordon Agricultural Society to add two gender-neutral handicapped-accessible washrooms to their community hall, about 20 kilometres west of Innisfail.

The society, which has raised its own funds, requested $77,670 and was approved for $35,000.

The county figured the program, when it was introduced, would help community groups catch up on much-needed renovation projects on hold because fundraising had not yet covered the tab.

The thinking at the time was that demand for the grants would drop off as projects were completed and the backlog was addressed.

“A while back, we kind of thought it was going to taper off,” acknowledged Wood. “I’m not seeing that yet at this time.”

This year, 20 applications were received, amounting to $542,100 in requests. That meant four applications did not make the cut and another eight groups did not get the full amount requested.

County community services manager Jo-Ann Symington told council the program is under review and recommendations, including possibly an increase in funding, will be coming back to council.



pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com

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