Quesnel City Council has endorsed a grant application for phase 2 of the Food Hub.
Community Development Coordinator Lindsay Blair said the money would be used to purchase specialized equipment.
“This project will encompass the capital purchases of further equipment identified in the implementation plan, including co-packing equipment, food lab testing equipment, specialized equipment for food processing food processing, small-wares and utensils, and additional work stations and work tables, and lockable storage cabinets and shelving.”
The total cost is approximately 113 thousand dollars.
The Northern Development Initiative Trust Economic Infrastructure grant application is for 79 thousand dollars, and then the City would be responsible for the remaining 34 thousand, money that will come out of a previous grant.
Councillor Mitch Vik…
“The 30 percent contribution from the City, that’s not a small point. It’s great how we can leverage a prior grant to help cover our portion here, so the net cost to the taxpayer is negated by that, which I think is phenomenal.”
The City received 500 thousand dollars from the Ministry of Agriculture in July of 2019.
Phase 1 of the Food Hub included renovations to the space leased on Marsh Drive just over the bridge in West Quesnel and the purchase of basic equipment such as a range, oven, dishwasher, etc.
The goal right now is to officially open the facility by the end of March.
The idea behind a Food Hub is to have a centralized shared-use food and beverage processing facility that provides business owners with affordable access to production facilities, new technology, and research and development to help them either get started or to expand their markets.