Quesnel City Council has approved two grant applications for funding through the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association.
One is for an RV Park and campground where the city’s utilities yard currently sits.
Lindsay Blair is the Community Development Coordinator with the city…
“The money from this grant will provide an updated business case, design development, environmental services, and a more detailed cost estimate. This will bring the project closer to applying for more funding for implementation.”
The second application is for the Lhtako Dene Cultural Centre project for an updated design and business plan that focuses on a phased approach to construction.
Mayor Bob Simpson…
“I’ve had a conversation with Chief Lebrun and he’s comfortable with us looking at that centre because Lhtako went all in,16 million, probably 18-19 million now, and the only question we would be asking here is could we do that as a phased project, two phased or three phased project, so we could actually chunk it and make it more palatable for some of the grant applications coming up.”
Lhtako Dene were unsuccessful in getting a grant for the entire project.
Simpson is hoping that they can have something that is ready in case there are any post-COVID infrastructure grants that become available.
They don’t have a final cost for that project yet, but they are asking for 20 thousand dollars, and then the city’s portion would be for up to 10 thousand out of Council Initiatives.
The ask for the RV project is 30 thousand and Council has already put aside 12 grand in this year’s budget.
Only Councillor Ron Paull was opposed…
“I will be voting against it because, as I voted in the budget, I am not voting for anything that is non essential or discretionary at this time.”
On the RV project, Paull also wanted to know if existing RV Owners were going to be made aware of what their plans are.
Mayor Simpson noted that it was only a planning document at this point, so they don’t know what they know yet.