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Red Deer County hands out $300,000 to community groups

Red Deer Titans rugby club to get funding for new playground
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Markerville Creamery operated from 1902 until 1972. Red Deer County provided $8,600 to the Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society to repaint the historical building. (Advocate file photo)

Red Deer County gave out $300,000 in grants to 18 community groups, including nearly $64,000 to the Red Deer Titans Rugby Football Club, on Tuesday.

The club, which is a non-profit organization, will use the money to build a playground and add a fence and irrigation sprinkler at its site in the county just south of Red Deer. The club is also contributing fundraising and volunteer labour and equipment to build the playground, which is open to the public.

County council approved the funding through its Rural Community Facility Capital Assistance Grant program, which has doled out $3.3 million to community organizations since 2007.

The Stephan G. Stephansson Icelandic Society also received significant funding help. A total of $30,100 is going to the society to upgrade equipment in the historic Buttermaker House in Markerville and to repaint the Markerville Creamery Café. As a provincial historic site, the creamery’s existing paint must be removed by hand using traditional methods and repainting must also be done by brush.

The Markerville Community Association will also get $7,500 for extra fire pits, tables and other items, which will be used to increase the number of camping spots to 16 from 13.

Among the other organizations to receive funding is the Benalto Booster Club, which plans to use its $15,000 grant to add skating rink boards to the outdoor rink near the historic train station.

Another outdoor rink in Springbrook will also get some sprucing up with help from a $15,000 grant. An old skate shack is going to be replaced with a modified shipping seacan in a project that is also being supported with cash and volunteer help from the Springbrook Community Association.

As is usual, most of the grants will be used to help repair, maintain and spruce up the many county community halls. Spruce View Community Association’s funding request is typical. The community group will use about $45,700 to add air conditioning, replace the sound system and buy picnic tables.

Other groups receiving funding are:

•Lousana Community Hall — $36,300

•Hub Centre Community Association, Pine Lake — $6,499

•Poplar Ridge Community Centre — $14,064

•Valley Centre Community Hall — 32,998

•Great Bend Community Centre — $1,400

•Oklahoma Community Centre — $24,664

•Glenellen Community Centre — $3,987

•Golden West Drop-In Centre, Spruce View — $6,600

•Central Community Hall — $7,515

•Spruce View and District Agricultural Society — $20,000



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