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Kimberley approves 2025 project and event grants
Kimberley City Council Report
By Nowell Berg
On January 13, City of Kimberley council held its first regular bi-monthly meeting for 2025.
Councillors Sue Cairns, Kevin Dunnebacke, Diana Fox, Woody Maguire, Jason McBain and Sandra Roberts were present along with Mayor Don McCormick.
An archive of the meeting can be viewed on the City of Kimberley YouTube channel. Watch it here.
Helping Hands Food Bank requests standing grant
Thom Tarte, Manager Helping Hands Food Bank, made a presentation to council requesting a standing yearly grant of $25,000 per year.
The funds would be allocated to food purchases ($10,000) and staff wages ($15,000).
Tarte spoke about the availability of funding for capital projects like a new kitchen or solar panels. “The hardest thing to do is to get money for food and wages,” he said. Helping Hands relies on individual and business donations for these needs, but it is not “stable.”
He pointed out that over the past 10 months there have been 1,095 visits to the food bank. Around 40 volunteers help out year-round.
Last year, the groups food buying cost was $141,000. During that same time, the Food Bank saw a “12% increase in usage,” said Tarte, who noted that food prices have increased by eight per cent over the past 12 months. He also told council that $26,000 (a 20% increase) was spent on Christmas hampers plus they experienced a 20% increase in people requesting hampers.
Coun. McBain commented, “This is a basic human necessity were talking about here. Its difficult to sustain what you do. Thank you for presenting tonight and highlighting these issues. I think its only going to get worse unless action is taken.”
Responding to Coun. Dunnabecke’s question about fundraising efforts, Tarte mentioned various community groups holding food bank events like the Kimberley Dynamiters hockey club, which are greatly appreciated, but stated, “In the end, we’re just trying to have enough money to put food in hampers, that is the most important thing.”
Mayor McCormick thanked the presenters and said, “We’ll be following up at a later date.”
Kimberley Nature Park Society standing grant request
Laura Duncan, Vice-President, Kimberley Nature Park Society (KNPS), presented to council the society’s request for a standing grant from the city.
Duncan told council the KNPS now has 500 members, up from 300 last year. She said this level of membership meant the trails were “heavily used” which increases the “wear and tear.”
The KNPS is requesting a $16,000 yearly standing grant to partially fund the operations manager position. Similar to the Food Bank comments, Duncan said, “It’s very difficult to find funding to pay for salaries.”
Mayor McCormick asked about the relationship between KNPS and Kimberley Trail Society (KTS).
Duncan said it was “informal,” but has been “a mutually beneficial association.” She told council the two groups were “just starting to develop a formal MOU to clarify who does what.”
Coun. Maguire asked, “If KTS maintain trails what does KNPS do?”
Duncan replied that KNPS is focused on “conservation and education,” noting this work is not a KTS mandate which is bike focused.
KNPS provides programs covering natural history, and conservation and education to help preserve the park. KNPS also supports wildlife cameras, bridges, boardwalks, information kiosks, benches and trails assessment to clarify priorities with KTS.
“Trying to figure out if increased use of the park is having a lot of impact on the wildlife” is one of the key projects for the KNPS, said Duncan.
Summing up, she said, “What we really, really, really need in our society today is strong connections with our young people to nature. If we can make those connections for young people they’re going to value what’s there. They’re going to take action to protect and to move on things like climate change and make sure we don’t just trash the park.”
Reiterating his comment to the Food Bank, McCormick said, “Council will be considering this as part of our budget deliberations. We will be back to you at a future date with feedback and what the direction forward is [for the standing grant request].”
2025 Project & Event Grants approved
Pam Walsh, Manager of Community Development and Communication, presented council with a list of proposed recipients of the 2025 project and event grants.
A committee was established to review applications and make recommendations to council. The committee was made up of three councilors and two staff members.
Grants were available to eligible, community-based, registered non-profit societies.
Out of 25 applications, council approved the allocation of $79,923 to 19 community groups.
The top eight recipients are:
Kimberley Arts Council – Centre 64 (first Saturdays) – $8,000.
Kimberley Spark Society for Youth (new beginnings for youth) – $8,000.
Wildsight Kimberley Cranbrook (food connectivity) – $7,792.
Kimberley Seahorse Swim Club (annual swim meet) – $7,000.
Rocky Mountain Riders (Fall fair) – $6,488.
Building EKology Learning Systems Society (conference) – $5,500.
Healthy Kimberley (community programs) – $5,000.
Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise Society (KOREFest 2025) – $5,000.
Groups receiving and not receiving a grant will have already been notified.
Kimberley city council assembles twice monthly starting at 7 p.m.
The next regular council meeting: January 27.
e-KNOW file photos
e-KNOW
