Council still has to approve special grants
Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Feb 23/01) - Some Yellowknife groups could get a little richer thanks to City Hall.
The city's public services committee recommended 10 groups receive a total of $66,866 in special grant funding on Tuesday.
City council still has to approve the recommendation next Monday.
But committee member Coun. Alan Woytuik is confident the recommended groups will get their allotted piece of the pie.
"I would think they will stand," said Woytuik on the recommendations.
"That's usually how it's done," he said.
Twelve groups requested funding from the city.
Only one group, the Yellowknife Christian Education Association, was denied, but not without debate.
The association requested $9,633 to reopen Koinonai school.
The committee chair, Coun. Ben MacDonald cast the deciding vote against giving the association grant money.
Woytuik and Coun. Kevin O'Reilly voted against the grant citing the city had no mandate over education.
Mayor Gord Van Tighem and Coun. Robert Hawkins voted to give the association part of the money they requested.
Gillian Belscheim chair of governing board of the association said she wasn't disappointed with the decision.
"These things have a way of sorting themselves out," she said.
Belscheim said plans to reopen Koinonia School are still on for September 2001 despite the setback. The NWT Chamber of Commerce also requested funding for a trade exhibition but the city will fund their request through economic development and the Mayor's office.
Dave Anderson, president of the Canadian Championship Dog Derby Association, said he was happy with the recommendation his group receive $15,000.
"It's just fabulous," said Anderson. "The city is a great partner of ours."
Anderson said the money will go into the administrative costs of running the dog derby.
"The Snow King loves cold hard cash," said the Snow King, a.k.a Anthony Folio.
"Hopefully the citizens of Yellowknife will come down and enjoy something the city deems worthy of investment," said the Snow King speaking about his snow castle currently under construction down on Yellowknife Bay on the shores of the Woodyard in Old Town.
