District of Houston staff requested the approval from Houston council to apply for funding of $30,000 from Active Communities Grant for the affordable recreation program.
According to the report, Northern Health and the B.C. Healthy Living Alliance launched an Active Communities Grant to help fund projects supporting physical activity initiatives.
“[These] focus on increasing the number of opportunities available to be physically active, encourage and support physical activity leadership in the community and address barriers to physical activity faced by community members,” stated the report.
The guidelines of the grant limit the amount of funding available for capital expenditures to 40 per cent of the total award.
According to the report, the grant money received will be used to fund staff training focusing on working with disadvantaged and vulnerable community members, training personnel to mentor and train new and upcoming staff throughout the community, implement play boxes in the neighbourhood parks, providing access to different equipment free of charge that would normally not be available to disadvantaged and vulnerable community members, offer free drop in programs, and increase the usage of neighbourhood parks.
The application deadline is July 21, and the project is expected to be complete by October 2018.
“Is $30,000 the total, or is that our 40 per cent portion?” asked counsellor Jonathan Van Barneveld.
“We are not required to put in 40 per cent, we are only allowed to use up to 40 per cent of the grant towards capital,” said Tasha Kelly, manger of leisure services for the District of Houston. “So for our total project we are asking for the full $30,000 and after looking at our budget we might have to spend an additional $10,000.”
“Is our contribution also going to be in-kind with man hours and labor?” asked counsellor Rick Lundrigan, acting deputy mayor for Houston at the council meeting.
“Yes,” said Kelly.
Houston council approved the recommendation to direct staff to apply for the grant funding.