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Penticton  

Penticton council approves funding for multiple community groups

Thumbs up for funding

Penticton city council has approved a variety of community grants for non-profit societies that approached council as part of in-year funding opportunities.

In-year community grants are considered by council twice each year, following the formal budget. Tuesday was this year's first intake, and another will follow in July.

Council decided to approve:

  • $500 cash and $102 in-kind to the Community Recreational Initiatives Society
  • $1,000 cash to the Conseil Jeunesse Francophone de la C.-B.: BC Francophone Games
  • $5,000 cash and $1,100 in-kind to the Penticton Paddle Sports Association Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (CORA) Distance Championships
  • $1,658.25 in-kind and $2,500 cash to the Penticton Peach Festival Society Royalty/Ambassador Program
  • $1,230 in-kind to the Ukraine Nightingale Project
  • $2,000 cash to the Wine Country Writers’ Festival
  • $5,000 cash to the Throwdown Series

The only line item that changed from the initial staff recommendation was for the Penticton Peach Festival Society Royalty program, meaning the "queen" and "princess" titles given to winning participating young people every year who then go on to represent Penticton at parades and festivals in the region.

Coun. Amelia Boultbee spoke in favour of supporting the program further than the initial staff recommendation of $1,550, upping that to $1,658.25 in-kind and $2,500 cash, all of which will support their rental of the Cleland Theatre for their ceremony event and travel expenses as Penticton ambassadors.

"This is not a beauty pageant. This is a leadership and ambassadorship program," Boultbee said, adding that she hopes a little extra cash will help the program get back to the numbers of participants it used to see when she was younger in Penticton.

"Right now they are at five participants but I would really like to encourage my fellow councillors to support this as it's a really important ambassadorship program for our city."

Mayor Julius Bloomfield noted he was happy to see the program veer away from what may once have been seen as a beauty pageant, towards a program supporting future leaders.

"I would personally like to show some support to this endeavour as well, especially with new management and the new organization and hope to see some kind of a revival, and I think the direction of leadership, and the accent on leadership, rather than the beauty pageant is very welcome," Bloomfield said.

Council voted unanimously to grant the funds to all the applicants.



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