qathet Regional District is recommending that the regional board approve two Lasqueti Island grants, totalling $12,445, from the social planning service.
At the July 5 finance committee meeting, directors considered the two grants that were referred from the June 28 regional board meeting. Electoral Area E director and finance committee chair Andrew Fall had promoted funding $10,000 for Lasqueti Community Association for its layered histories – cultural heritage project, and $2,445 to the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy for a landowner stewardship program. He had advocated both projects be funded from the regional district’s general grants-in-aid service, suggesting they were of benefit to the whole regional district. There is currently no money remaining in the Electoral Area E grants-in-aid service.
Electoral Area C director Clay Brander put forward a motion to fund Lasqueti Community Association from the social planning service.
“I respect that staff have said this grant would fall more cleanly under the general grants-in-aid,” said Brander.
However, he read from bylaws pertaining to the social planning service, indicating the project would fit.
“In there, I see multiculturalism and social,” said Brander. “In my opinion, because of those items included in the bylaw, we can place this grant under the social planning service.”
Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said Lasqueti has been paying into general grants-in-aid and has been receiving crumbs.
“The motion before us is to have the difference made up from the other electoral areas and doesn’t address the issue of paying a fair share,” said Gisborne. “The original proposal put forward by director Fall was that it come from general grants-in-aid. That is the grant silo that has been underfunding Lasqueti for decades.
“The social planning service should not be used to deal with that imbalance.”
City of Powell River director Cindy Elliott said the project includes reconciliation, which is cultural in nature, and is absolutely of social benefit.
Fall said he had made many impassioned claims about the tax inequity Lasqueti has been facing in terms of grants-in-aid and how it might be rectified. He said it doesn’t matter which pot it is brought out of because the groups and taxpayers do not care.
“There is a broader issue we need to resolve at a later time about grants-in-aid,” added Fall. “The bylaw, as read by director Brander, makes sense. This project can fit into both streams.”
The recommendation that the regional board approve a $10,000 grant to Lasqueti Community Association from the social planning service passed, with Gisborne opposed.
The finance committee then discussed the Lasqueti Island Nature Conservancy grant application, shifting money from the general grants-in-aid to the social planning service.
Gisborne wanted to amend the motion to fund out of the Electoral Area E grants-in-aid but there was no seconder. The committee recommended the board approve the $2,445 grant from the social planning service, with Gisborne opposed.
