The Scout Island Nature House received the City of Williams Lake Accessibility Award of Merit during the Regular Council meeting held Tuesday night, February 8.
Mayor Walt Cobb and Council commended the work of Scout Island Nature Centre volunteers, whose work resulted in the installation of a concrete accessible ramp, new railing, roof repairs and removal of brush along the trails near the Scout Island Nature House to make it more inclusive and accessible.
Volunteers Don Lawrence and Margaret Waring attended the meeting to accept the award from Mayor Cobb, and thanked Council on behalf of the Accessibility Advisory Committee.
Attending virtually, Accessibility Advisory Committee Chair Maureen Straza told Council roughly 800 volunteer hours were put into the completion of the project and said
many local businesses need to be thanked for the donations and contributions that made the project's completion successful and possible.
Development variance permit application approved for Cariboo Memorial Hospital
Council approved a development variance permit for Graham Design Builders LP on behalf of Interior Health at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital. The new permit will increase the maximum height of the principal building from 23 metres to 26.5 metres for a proposed new mechanical penthouse. It will also reduce the exterior lot line setbacks for the building from 4.5 metres to 1.5 metres to the west and from 4.5 metres to 3.5 metres to the northwest.
New bouldering park proposed for Williams Lake
The Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club is hoping to ascend to new heights with the construction of a new bouldering park in Williams Lake.
Following a presentation from Williams Lake Daybreak Rotary Club member Andrew Sandberg, Council agreed to help the organization find a suitable location for the climbing structures, and to direct staff to work on specifics for the process, along with providing fundraising assistance.
During his presentation, Sandberg said the fully-completed project would cost roughly $200,000 and proposed Scout Island as the group's preferred location.
"We are hoping to get this funded, 100per cent, through local support, and local businesses," Sandberg said, noting WLDRC plans to apply for a Kal-Tire grant of up to $30,000 to assist with the recycled rubber required for the project's completion.
Council, meanwhile, was thrilled with the proposal and fully endorsed the project, and said they were extremely grateful for the work WLDRC is doing in the community.
Preliminary schematics for the bouldering park show two structures, each with various climbing routes and difficulties associated with them.
The height of the tallest structure would be roughly 12 feet.
City to apply for funding for video series
Council approved an application for the February intake of the Northern Development Initiative Trust Marketing Initiative Grant program for 50 per cent of a budget of$20,000 for the creation of a series of short, promotional videos highlighting different aspects of Williams Lake.
In a report, Economic Development Officer Beth Veenkamp said high-level discussions are already underway with a media company to develop the promotional videos. Council fully endorsed the project, directing staff to proceed with the funding application.
Twenty COVID Hardship Grants awarded to local, non-profit organizations
All of the City's available funding through the third intake of COVID Hardship Grants have been allocated.
Chief Financial Officer Vitali Kozubenko, in a report to Council, noted the hardship grants were available to non-profit organizations serving the Williams Lake community in the amount of $1,250 each, totalling $25,000.
Grants were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to the following organizations and businesses:
1.) Gavin Lake Forest Education Society
2.) Cariboo Chilcotin Youth Fiddle Society
3.) Cariboo Memorial Hospital Foundation
4.) Hough Memorial Cancer Society
5.) Cariboo Chilcotin Gymnastics Association
6.) Williams Lake Off Road Motorcycle Association
7.) Caribruisers Junior Roller Derby
8.) Williams Lake Stampeders Hockey Club
9.) Royal Canadian Legion Branch 139
10.) Williams Lake Royal Purple Lodge#126
11.) Potato House Sustainable Community Society
12.) Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin
13.) Recycle Bin/Life's Salt Jar Warehouse Foundation
14.) Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce (Tourism Discovery Centre)
15.) Lakers Car Club
16.) Williams Lake Powder Kings Snowmobile Club
17.) Williams Lake Slo-Pitch League
18.) Williams Lake Cycling Club
19.) Guru Nanak Sikh Temple Society
20.) Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club
The grant intake period began on December 7, 2021 after Council passed are solution to distribute the remaining funds allocated to COVID community events.