SUNDRE – While a local volunteer organization is grateful to be among those approved for a provincial grant, the group’s vice-president said what non-profit service providers really require is more sustainable funding.
The Sundre Volunteer Search and Rescue Society received $28,051 through the Community Facility Enhancement Program for a facility upgrade to expand its hangar at the Sundre Airport.
“We fit the criteria for the grant, but we don’t get sustainable funding,” said Bruce Robb.
“That happens to be the way that this current Alberta government funds organizations; it’s the best grant writer gets the money,” Robb told the Albertan.
The grant brings Sundre Search and Rescue one step closer to securing enough funds to build an expansion to the hangar to accommodate more room for administrative purposes including meetings and office space as well as teaching and training opportunities.
Although glad to get the grant, Robb is of the opinion that such grants would be more suitable for one-time community projects that don’t require long-term sustainability funding such as a splash park.
“These grants are important for the little one-offs,” he said.
But volunteer groups like Search and Rescue that require continuous funding to provide their service that can mean the difference between life and death during an emergency need more dependable long-term funding.
Search and Rescue certainly isn’t alone, with other crucial, non-profit community service groups such as the Greenwood Neighbourhood Place Society having in recent years been forced to make the difficult decision to reduce office hours to three days a week from four as a result of decreased funding levels, he said.
So in the absence of sustainable funding, Robb said he’ll next be endeavouring to fill out another grant application in the hopes of getting funds to replace the society’s 24-year-old pickup truck.
And while the $28,051 covers most of the cost for their planned expansion at the airport hangar, there nevertheless remains a balance to account for, he said.
“They gave us a very large chunk of the whole amount, but it’s still short a little bit,” he said. “So, I still have to go around and try to find $5,000 worth of donations.”
But with the bulk of the funding in the bank as of this past November, the society has begun taking the first steps towards the facility’s expansion.
“We have applied for our development permit, and that’s where we’re at,” he said.
“So we’re just starting this process.”
Eventually, their plan envisions a roughly 12-foot by 32-foot expansion to the hangar with the possibility of pouring a concrete floor provided enough funding remains available.
The other Sundre and area groups that received funding were:
• The Sundre Rodeo and Race Association, which was awarded $125,000 for a facility upgrade at the Sundre Rodeo Grounds;
• The Sundre and District Aquatic Society, which was awarded $49,250 for a facility upgrade at the Sundre Aquaplex that went to the new hot tub;
• The Bearberry Wapitana Society, which was awarded $4,572 for a facility upgrade at the Bearberry Community Hall;
• Jude Griebel, who was awarded an individual project grant of $15,000 through Alberta Foundation for the Arts for visual arts and new media; and,
• The Sundre and District Allied Arts Society, which manages the Sundre Arts Centre, was granted $560 through the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
