ELORA – Council here decided all 13 eligible applicants for the new Centre Wellington Neighbourhood Grant program will receive $1,000 to get their community events off the ground.
Councillor Stephen Kitras brought forward a motion last year to consider a new grant to help groups host celebrations coming out of the pandemic in an effort to promote mental wellness and community connections.
Council decided the Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) should oversee the program, go through the grant applications and recommend their top choices to councillors.
Council set aside $5,000 for the program this year – $1,000 each for five different events.
Communications and strategic initiatives specialist Kendra Martin told council at the May 24 committee of the whole meeting that 18 applications were received, five were determined to be ineligible, and CSAC had a difficult time whittling the list down to five.
“All the requests were very well thought out,” she said. “We looked at it geographically … trying to bring together the most people.”
Councillor Neil Dunsmore wondered if, because there is $31,000 in a reserve fund for future neighbourhood grants, council could approve all 13 applications at a cost of $12,990, and his motion was unanimously approved.
Receiving $1,000 grants are:
- Belwood Street Social Event;
- Inverhaugh BBQ;
- Pierpoint Park Neighbourhood Picnic;
- Party in the Park, Strathlea Subdivision;
- Storybrook Park Canada Day Party;
- Count me In! Neighbourhood Street Party;
- Elora Meadows Neighbourhood Party;
- Water, York and Bridge St. Block Party;
- CW Community Fun Day, Bissell Park;
- Lot 18-A-Palooza;
- Walser Street party; and
- Victoria Park Party.
The Revell Park Picnic event was also approved. It requested and will receive $990, bringing the total of the 13 applications to $12,990.
