Cochrane town council approved an additional $4,097.50 from council’s promotional budget June 8 for this year’s community grant program recipients, bringing the total to $29,097.50.
Council approved $25,000 as part of their 2015 budget to be used for the program. Program deadline for applicants was May 1; a total of 23 applications amounting to $43,750 were made and 16 were approved.
Administration ensured all successful applicants met the criteria outlined in ‘Policy 1201-03 Civic Partnerships, Community Grants and Arts & Culture Endowment Fund’.
Capital projects are not currently included in the program, although several councillors mentioned they would like to see this reviewed prior to setting the 2016 budget.
The community grants program is to ‘provide financial assistance towards projects/events that enhance and enrich the community’ (through town partnerships with not-for-profit organizations).
The successful recipients include:
- Cochrane Lions for Labour Day Rodeo: $2,000 - Nakoda Cochrane Pickin’ Party Music Society for Jam and Annual Pickin’ Party Festival: $600 - Helping Hands Society of Cochrane and Area for Semi-annual Community Wide Food Drive: $2,000 - Cochrane Minor Soccer for Grassroots Soccer Festival $960 ($2,000 requested) - Cochrane Santa Claus Parade for parade and community visits $2,000 - Boys & Girls Club of Cochrane & Area for Capital One Race for Kids $2,000 - Cochrane Society for Housing Options for Night at the Movies: $2,000 - Bow Valley Habitat Development for 2015 Big Hill Creek Riparian Recovery Project: $2,000 - Arts and Culture Foundation for Cochrane Arts Guide: $2,000 - Holy Spirit Parent Advisory Council for new playground: $2,000 - Cochrane Comets for Aqua-thon: $2,000 - Cochrane Light Up Committee for Cochrane Light Up: $2,000 - Cochrane and Area Events Society for SummerFest: $2,000 - Cochrane and Area Events Society for WinterFest $2,000 - Cochrane and Area Events Society for Taste of Cochrane: $1,537.50 ($2,000 requested) - Cochrane and Area Events Society for Labour Day Parade: $2,000
A group of environmentally conscious Bow Valley High Schools presented to council their proposition for the town to follow the lead of nearby Canmore, by changing the vehicle idling maximum from 20 minutes to five.
The presentation was well received by council and would likely be taken into account by administration in the future.
The students highlighted the impact long-term idling of vehicles has on the environment, with the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful emissions; they noted the impact the release of CO2 has on climate change.
Their research indicates that idling for 60 seconds is an ideal maximum.
For more on this topic, check on this week’s editorial on page 14.
The 11-member panel of Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC) also made a presentation to council, highlighting their top six recommendations based on their research.
First meeting in February of 2013, the MYC was developed in response to a recommendation made by the Youth Engagement Task Force to council.
The goal of the MYC is to work with the town to ensure that youth are engaging with matters that affect them and to encourage youth to have a voice in the community.
Their six recommendations — largely based on partnerships with the Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane and Area, the Spray Lake Sawmills Centre and Cochrane Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) — include: Increasing youth programming and spaces to do so for youth ages 13-17; Working toward some type of public transportation system, beginning with five or six routes and a central transfer station (including a stop at the skate park). An eventual LRT connection and expanded community routes were marked as goals once a service was established; establishing a MYC social media connection to reach out to youth and the community in general; increasing safety for youth — namely through working with FCSS and the RCMP; to develop a ‘terms of reference’ for council to implement a MYC (which was implemented in 2013); and to provide an annual report to council.
Public transportation was noted as a high priority issue for youth by the MYC.
Council has unanimously agreed to move forward with the pursuit of a $500,000 grant from the Canada 150 Federal Community Infrastructure Program.
The grant program was announced last month, in conjunction with the celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday by investing in community infrastructure projects between 2016-18, and the deadline for the application is June 17.
Since $500,000 is the maximum that can be awarded through the program, administration determined it would be most efficient to select the RancheHouse improvements —valued at $1M — to maximize grant potential.
The funds would go toward expansion of the RancheHouse’s parking lot; replacement of theatre seating and improvements to the theatre lighting and projector; and renovations to the multi-purpose rooms and kitchen space.
Town funds are already in the lifecycling reserve.
The grant monies must be used for renovations and improvements to an existing facility; therefore, the new pool/curling centre would not qualify.
