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City council has agreed to pick up the Legion's tab at the Parkinson Recreation Centre. (Photo Adrian Nieoczym)
Kelowna city council bent over backwards to help out the Royal Canadian Legion today. The Legion’s Branch 26 asked for $705 in help and council responded by giving it $1,330 instead.
The Legion asked for a grant-in-aid to cover the $705 rental fee it paid to use Parkinson Recreation Centre for its annual Veterans Dinner this past July. The event has been hosted at the recreation centre since 2007.
“The reason for the move was to accommodate the number of veterans that were actually attending the event and the event itself provides a great opportunity for the veterans to rekindle friendships, share stories and to let them know they’re still honoured for their contributions by the community,” the city’s director of recreation and cultural services, Jim Gabriel, told council during its meeting this afternoon.
The Legion had been using a grant from the Veterans Association to help pay for the event but shortly after this year’s edition, it was informed the grant was not for recurring events and so would not be coming this year. As a result, the event had an $1,800 deficit.
Council unanimously agreed to cover the $705 rental fee from its contingency fund and to look into the possibility of providing this subsidy on an ongoing basis.
“Usually they’re the ones that are actually providing support to other organizations. They do a ton of fundraising, they’ve given money to countless other societies and other groups,” said Coun. Luke Stack during deliberations. “So it is nice for us to be able to support them.”
During council’s discussion on the matter, it came out that the Legion also pays $625 to rent the recreation centre for an event every Remembrance Day. Even though the Legion was not asking for help with these costs, Coun. Charlie Hodge put forward a motion that council cover this fee from its contingency fund this year as well, and that it consider adding this item to the city budget ever year from here on in.
The motion passed unanimously.
adrian@kelowna.com
250-575-3517
One Response to “City council grants Legion’s request and then some”
Tags: Kelowna, royal canadian, subsidy
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I think this is what remembering our veterns is all about they should get together to rekindle friendships as well as just the “being together”….makes them feel they are remembered no only on one day of the year for their sacrifices. They came home but will carry the war in their hearts and memories for all of their lives, I know I am the daughter of a vertern. My father served and thank God he passed down the need to resect his fellow veterns to his family,because of this we have three RCMP officers one which served in the Canadian Army for years. I commend all in City council for this act of kindness to the veterans.This not only affected the veterans themselves but also their families. Hats off to you!!!!
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