OLDS — Olds council has approved $50,000 worth of grants from the Mountain View Power Committee to area non-profit groups and organizations.
The committee disburses profits of the municipally-owned Mountain View Power energy marketer.
Council made approved the proposed fall grants during its Nov. 25 regular meeting.
The committee received applications from nine community groups or organizations asking for a total of $114,841.20.
In the end, $50,000 was dispersed to the six community groups or organizations:
• $ 2,500 to the Mount View Special Riding Association for an infrastructure plan which includes replacement of their wireless speaker system, purchase of new driving shafts and replacement of expired safety helmets.
• $16,600 to the Mountain View Food Bank for renovation to bay doors in the former Olds fire hall in order to reduce heat loss in the winter. The food bank is expected to move there early next year.
• $ 6,600 to the Mountain View Hospice Society for enhancement of bereavement spaces.
• $ 6,000 to the Mountain View Seniors’ Housing Foundation for its Active Seniors program, including purchase of equipment. Currently, Mount View Lodge only has one exercise bike for 90 residents.
• $15,000 to the Olds Lions Club for its Memorial Forest/Columbaria Pathway project to make the area weatherproof and more aesthetically pleasing.
• $ 3,300 to The Community Lending Shelf for the creation of changing spaces and other renovations to the former fire hall, which it moved into in late November.
Applicants not receiving funds were the Olds Amateur Football Association which asked for $25,000 for SeaCan change rooms for the Normie Kwong Athletic Park; the Olds & District Special Family Voices Council, which asked for $7,500 for AccessAbility Week; and the Olds & District Music Festival Society which asked for $1,000 for the 2025 Olds & District Music Festival of the Arts.
Deemed not eligible were applications from Burden Bearers Counselling, the Mountain View Museum & Archives and Olds Minor Soccer.
The municipality notes that a total of $247,000 from Mountain View Power profits has been invested back into the community since June 2023.
The news release also noted that community groups can apply for the next community grant application intake which will occur next spring.
During discussion on the matter, Coun. Heather Ryan asked why some applicants were unsuccessful.
She also asked if letters will be sent to those groups telling them why they didn’t receive grants and/or were deemed ineligible for them.
The town's chief administrative officer, Brent Williams, said one factor is that applicants have to have permission from the landowner for projects they want to undertake.
“The bigger piece is that Mountain View Power, the committee, had a strong preference towards people who had skin in the game, so had some of their own funds to contribute,” Williams said.
“We also have been deeming ineligible those who don’t have any of their own funds or any other funding going towards the project, where they want Mountain View Power to be 100 per cent, or they haven’t specified if they have the money.
“Because of the policy council passed, the intention is to have this money activated in the community as quickly as possible and the project turnaround time is about 12 months roughly,” he added.
“When it comes to the three or so that weren’t given funding – because some were given fewer funding than others – I believe it largely had to do with either the recency that they were given funding; for example the football association,” Williams said.
“If you recall, council approved a recommendation to fund $30,000 for a You Matter space on the CLC grounds. They saw this as a bit too close to that, so they didn’t want to double up too much at one time.
“And I believe that the music festival society application, perhaps it just wasn’t a large enough impact.”
As for the question about the letters, Williams confirmed that yes, applicants are notified about why they didn’t receive funds.
“I appreciate that,” Ryan said. “It’s good for these community groups to understand where they sit in the relationship to what the committee and what the policy says with regards to how they receive funding.
“And perhaps they (can) rejig their application or it can be revisited at a different time.”
“Yeah,” Williams replied. “And let’s hope too that if it doesn’t receive funding this year but it’s worthy, they can improve it and bring it back next time.”
