For the first time since the pandemic hit, City of Powell River council chambers were full of recipients for the nearly $2.3 million for 16 grants handed out from the Powell River Community Forest reserve fund.
At the June 2 city council meeting, mayor Dave Formosa’s reaction was: “Wow, wow, what would we do without this community forest?” He added that the community forest members know what they do to helps the community.
Formosa said with the city’s tight cash flow, it’s always been a struggle in the 14 years he has been on city council in terms of balancing the budget and keeping up with the city’s needs.
“The recreation complex would probably not be standing today if it wasn’t for this group,” said Formosa. “My heart is just full of love and thanks for this group.”
Formosa said he remembers when the founders and creators went after the opportunity to have a community forest and spent well over a year chasing down the opportunity.
“When we did manage to get it, I think we became the most successful community forest in the province,” added Formosa. “We never stop being thankful. So, from all the residents in the region of qathet, I say thank you as the mayor of the City of Powell River to this group.”
Powell River Community Forest president Greg Hemphill said he wanted to extend thanks to city council, on behalf of the board, for its ongoing support.
“Thanks once again for approving our recommendations for the spring 2022 grants,” said Hemphill. “With everything going on, with COVID-19, a hemlock looper infestation, I’m very pleased to have a very solid dividend from 2021. We presented that for deposit into the community forest reserve fund.”
The dividend from the 2021 operations was $2,668,952. Hemphill said this will allow both a spring and fall grant take-up.
“There’s plenty of money in there,” said Hemphill. “We manage the fund between spring and fall, so there will be another opportunity for those folks who didn’t get a grant this go-around to be considered in the fall.”
Hemphill said the latest 16 grants brings the total number of grants recommended by the community forest to 229 since inception.
“We’re pleased to be able to support a lot of the great community organizations that work to have projects that make Powell River a better place,” said Hemphill. “It means a lot to us in terms of satisfaction for what we do to have that in-person contact. This is great for us, obviously, and we also like to see those completed projects.”
Hemphill said for those applicants who were not awarded grant money in this spring allocation, their applications remain in the system for the fall.
Formosa said in terms of allocations made to the city, the recreation complex is a big deal.
“We know how fortunate we are to have it, and without this community forest, we would actually be looking at what to do,” said Formosa. “Are we going to take a piece of it down, are we going to stop running one arena?”
Grant recipients were then able to get up to the podium in council chambers to highlight the effects of the grants on their particular projects and to give thanks for the funds allocated.
At the May 26 finance committee meeting, city chief financial officer Mallory Denniston introduced the recommendations from the community forest board of directors for spring 2022 grants.
