Funds have been committed by the City of Williams Lake for an enhanced red holiday lighting display downtown as well as a outdoor skating rink at Kiwanis Park for the upcoming Rogers Hometown Hockey.
The costs according to Mayor Walt Cobb will be covered out of surplus from 2017.
“Because we haven’t finalized our budget we do know we have some surpluses from last year at this stage of the game. So the idea was just to take it out of those surpluses for now, but we will when we finalize our budget have it as a budget line item so it’s identified and what not.”
Of the $20,000 committed up to $10,000 will be for the construction and maintenance of the rink, $5,000 will be for the light display, and $5,000 will be reserved for any additional expenses such as additional snow removal.
“Part of the theme that they put together (Hometown Committee) was for ‘Paint the Town Red’ so I think the actual expenditures in cash would be for the lights. If you see around town the lights are going up now and a lot of them are red, and that will be a legacy-we’ll be able to use them year after year,” says Cobb adding that the intent is too also have the rink on the long-term following the event.
Rogers has agreed to cover the majority of expenses related to the core event including the Event Coordinator wages, and building rentals, although anything else that the community decides to add beyond the core expenses is considered to be their responsibility.
“Is it a waste of money to try and promote and bring our community together? I don’t think so,” says Cobb.
“I think we have to be very, very cautious on how much we spend but with the fact that we’ve had this opportunity through Rogers Hometown Hockey we thought this was the time we could assist and do that.”
Rogers Hometown Hockey will be in Williams Lake on January 6 and 7.