It now appears Puslinch Township is likely to receive some funding for its Big Lake proposal.
Mayor Brad Whitcombe said last week the township recently received a letter from officials with the Green Municipal Fund, offered through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
The letter stated that Puslinch’s $400,000 application – which would see the township receive $200,000 in funding – was favourably received during a peer review, which is “a good indication [the] application will be approved.”
Whitcombe said the letter called the proposal – transforming several gravel pits on a 1,200 acre parcel along both sides of Concession 2 into one large lake measuring 700 acres – an “innovative approach” to pit rehabilitation.
The mayor suggested the letter be forwarded to provincial officials, who in January denied a $385,000 grant application under Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program.
In April RED officials asked the township to re-submit the application, which would provide $193,000 in funding for the project. Whitcombe said at the time he doubts the municipality would be asked to re-submit the paper work just to be turned down again.
“I think this is the catalyst to get [provincial] approval in place,” Whitcombe said last week of the FCM letter.
