Money will be distributed to three more projects from Powell River Community Forest proceeds.
At the Thursday, November 6, City of Powell River Council meeting, Greg Hemphill, president of Powell River Community Forest Ltd. (PRCF), said on behalf of the board of directors, he was pleased to announce the recommendation of the three new project grants from the community forest reserve fund. These include:
• BOMB (Bloody Old Men’s Brigade) Squad, $22,786 for the rehabilitation of trails and bridges in Millennium Park;
• Powell River Child, Youth and Family Services Society (PRCYFSS), $60,500 for a parenting centre;
• Powell River hospital mezzanine garden committee, $13,835 for a garden and rest area.
“It’s good timing with the recent announcement that city council reached an agreement with Island Timberlands on the timber in Millennium Park,” Hemphill said. “I think it’s great that BOMB Squad has stepped forward to [rehabilitate] the trails and bridges in the park area.”
Hemphill said one of the more satisfying grants from a couple of years ago was with the PRCYFSS, finding a permanent home for the youth resource centre.
“A logical extension to that service is to help support establishing a parenting centre at the same location, the old Oceanview School location,” he said.
The hospital mezzanine garden and rest area project will be a valuable addition to Powell River General Hospital, according to Hemphill.
“A group of volunteers came up with the good idea of creating a garden and rest area in the mezzanine area of the hospital,” he said. “Both patients and family members will find the sanctuary beneficial.
These grants totalling almost $100,000 are in addition to the record-setting $1,213,457 that PRCF provided to the city in June of this year.
Pat Walsh from the BOMB Squad, Heather Gordon, executive director of PRCYFSS, and Susan Jersak, proponent for the hospital mezzanine rest area, outlined the various projects to city council. Shehzad Somji, the city’s chief financial officer, recommended that council approve the grants recommended by the community forest board.
City council voted unanimously to allocate the funds to the three community organizations.
PRCF expects to support grants to a mix of projects of different themes and sizes from both community groups and the city. Project proposals or updates to existing proposals may be submitted to PRCF and the city at any time. The project list is reviewed on an ongoing collaborative basis with city staff.
More information on the application process and the evaluation criteria can be found on the PRCF website.
