Skip to content

Community Resource Centre pursues funding help

Regional district to advocate for continued provincial government support of social hub
Stuart Clark
SEEKING SUPPORT: Powell River Employment Program Society executive director Stuart Clark appeared before Powell River Regional District’s committee of the whole to ask for assistance in requesting additional provincial government funding to continue operating Powell River’s Community Resource Centre. Chris Bolster photo

Powell River Regional District will be stepping up its advocacy with the provincial government to seek long-term funding for Community Resource Centre and also look into how it can provide financial support for the centre’s continued operation.

Powell River Employment Program Society executive director Stuart Clark and Community Resource Centre manager Martyn Woolley appeared before the regional board’s committee of whole on October 19 to request help from the regional government in asking for additional provincial funds and to consider establishing a regional service to provide ongoing local operating funds for the centre.

Municipal director CaroleAnn Leishman made the motion to have the board send a letter to provincial social development minister Shane Simpson voicing support for the centre and requesting ongoing funding.

Clark said the provincial government funded the centre through the former Ministry of Social Development and Innovation four years longer than it said it would.

“Every year we've gone to them asking for more and they've responded with ‘yes, but not forever,’” said Clark. “Now there’s no commitment to fund the centre further and it’s quite a significant gap.”

For the past four years the province has provided approximately 60 per cent of the centre’s core funding, about $120,000 per year, said Clark.

Community Resource Centre also received grant-in-aid funding from the regional district and last year the board provided $32,500 in a grant for the centre. At the time of the decision, discussions were held about developing a regional funding service or some kind of electoral area partnership agreement instead of the grant because the request for funds was taking place yearly.

City of Powell River councillor Maggie Hathaway, who sat in as an alternate for municipal director Russell Brewer at the October 19 committee meeting, said she would be supportive of any request that can help the centre continue to operate.

“They are providing a service I do not think we can do without in this community,” said Hathaway. “So many people depend on it on a daily basis.”

In 2016, the centre had just over 18,000 visits, but forecasting suggests it will easily receive more than 20,000 this year, Woolley told the committee. He added that he is aware of 17 people living in the bush or on the street in Powell River.

“That's not counting north or south of town,” said Woolley. “That's just between here and Inland Lake.”

Clark said he has not received an answer one way or the other from the government on the funding question, which is the current problem.

The committee also agreed to have the issue of local funding for centre operations discussed at a regional district board strategic planning session on October 26 and 27.