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Bighorn extends and reallocates several approved grants

The Benchlands Community Association cancelled its pancake breakfast for the first time in several decades, the Ghost Waiparous Trails Association asked for an additional four months to finalize the purchase of a cross-country skiing track setter and the McDougall Stoney Mission Society requested the $1,200 set aside for 2020 event programming be reallocated to the fall grand opening

BIGHORN – This is the first time in several decades, the Guy Gibson Community Association cancelled its annual pancake breakfast.

Revealed in a letter to the MD of Bighorn council during the Aug. 11 council meeting, Marina Krainer, president of the Guy Gibson (Benchlands) Community Association said the decision to forgo the flapjack festivities was a hard one to make. 

“We were very sad to cancel the pancake breakfast this year having held these events for several decades without missing a single year. However, we did not want to jeopardize the safety of the participants as well as our hosts, the volunteers of the Ghost River Fire Department,” Krainer wrote. 

Earlier this year, the association was granted $300 through the MD of Bighorn Community Services Grants, to support annual community events. The monies were granted to help fund the annual pancake breakfast and help cover costs of the annual general meeting (AGM) for the association.

But after the COVID-19 pandemic swept the Alberta, with the provincial government placing gathering restrictions and implementing physical distancing of at least two-metres for people from different households and cohort families in an effort to slow down transmission of the virus – the ability to host annual events became difficult. 

“With infections on the rise again, we can’t see this situation changing any time soon, so the Benchlands Community Association has decided to provide updates to the community and satisfy our obligation to hold an AGM by sending out an email to the community,” the president wrote. “Since not all community members have access to reliable, high-speed internet yet, holding a virtual AGM was unfortunately not an option either.”

The association received the funding on Jan. 8. Outlined in the letter from officials at the time, reallocations of the funds were strongly discouraged, however, it said “should your operations not move forward due to unforeseen circumstances, reallocation may be considered.”

Making the request to hold the funds over to 2021, administration recommended council approve the request to carry forward the monies as a way to save the association time and paperwork to reapply. Council unanimously approved. 

“We are hopeful that we will be able to hold an in-person AGM as well as our traditional pancake breakfast again next year … thank you for your ongoing support and consideration,” Krainer said, finishing off the letter.

 

BACK 40 XC TRACK SETTER

The Benchlands grant extension was just one of three requests that council received on Tuesday morning, as two other organizations also requested an extension or reallocation of funds – totalling $4,500. 

The Ghost Waiparous Trails Association was also granted a four-month extension for its Community Enhancement Project and to be able to carry forward $290 in grant monies from their 2019 community services grant to the 2021 fiscal year.

The association originally received $3,000 to put towards the purchase of a cross-country skiing track setter, with the cost to be split between the MD of Bighorn and the Summer Village of Waiparous. 

In the grant application, Rick Tuza, president of the association outlined the importance of the project as the Ghost/Waiparous Trail System, also known as the Back 40, is the community’s only recreational outlet with the trail system used for a variety of activities, including but not limited to hiking, dog-walking, jogging, biking, photography, cross-country skiing and firewood collection. 

The MD first issued an eight-month extension in January, as the large amount of FireSmart work done over the past two winters did not allow for practical testing for the track setter. The association then requested another extension until the end of 2020, as the treasurer heard the province may be auctioning off similar equipment.

“The GWTA tested a borrowed track setter this past winter and had positive feedback from users of the Back 40 … [we] heard that the province may be auctioning off similar equipment and we are patiently waiting to hear further details,” Tuza wrote.

“Prior to any purchase, a report will be submitted to the M.D. outlining our plans.”

The Ghost Waiparous Trails Association also requested the carryover of the $290 in grant monies that resulted from savings after a new bench and kiosk were purchased and assembled in 2019. 

Council unanimously approved both requests. 

 

MCDOUGALL CHURCH GRAND OPENING

The last request came from the McDougall Stoney Mission Society, which is currently involved in a controversial restoration project, asking council to reallocate its Community Services grant to an event celebrating the restoration of the McDougall Church, scheduled for this fall.

The society was originally awarded $1,200 from the MD of Bighorn on Jan. 8, with funds allocated to support the 2020 events program. 

“The Community Services Board (CBS) would like to say it is good to see how inclusive you are being with all area neighbours and renewed interest in the location,” Community Service Coordinator Deb Grady wrote in the grant approval letter.

Earlier this year, the Stoney Nakoda Tribal council spoke out against the project, saying it was not an act of reconciliation. 

"Our official position is we are not in support and we do not consider the [project] to be a community building, we consider it a church ... one that has a long and painful history to the Stoney Nakoda people,” Stoney Tribal Administration CEO Ryan Robb told the Outlook last month.

The Nation also asked the province to remove the historic designation of the site, citing the monument’s “painful history.”

In July, the province emailed a statement to the Outlook stating the church's historic resource designation is "not under review," but did not clarify if the request to remove the designation is still under evaluation, or has been dismissed.

The province has yet to clarify where the request stands. 

In the meantime, the society has continued the restoration project on the basis of the approved building permit, president of the society Brenda McQueen explained in an email at the time.

"It is our understanding that there is no formal process for removing the designation as a provincial historic site and that it is the decision of the minister responsible … We are not involved in this process and have no knowledge of the status of this request,” McQueen wrote last month.

Now the society is requesting the $1,200 that was set aside to assist with the development and running of events at the site of the McDougall Memorial United Church, be reallocated to the fall grand opening event.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from having formal events to date at the site, out of an abundance of caution. However, our new plan for utilizing the grant money is to use it to expand the events on the weekend of September 12-13 at which the newly restored church will be unveiled to the public,” Kent McQueen, of the society wrote in the request letter to council.

McQueen said the money would also allow the society to “greatly increase participation of the Stoney Nakoda Nation in the way of singers, drummers, dancers, as well as providing honoraria for additional elders.”

In a draft of the event poster, organizers encourage the public to "Save the Date."

Titling the event, The Pathway to Peace the grand opening of the restored historic McDougall Memorial United Church is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with entertainment and family picnics. The poster also notes Stoney Nakoda Arts and Crafts will be available for purchase.

Bighorn administration recommended council approve the reallocation request. 

Without discussion, council unanimously approved the $1,2000 reallocation to the grand opening.

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