A series of grant requests were forwarded for Oak Bay council to peruse during estimates discussions next month
One discussion divided the small council, with Coun. Tara Ney, Kevin Murdoch and Tom Croft absent from the March 13meeting.
Last year, Oak Bay covered half the ice costs, $2,546, for the Oak Bay Figure Skating Club’s last ice show two years ago.They seek $6,500 this year, the full ice amount for rehearsal and shows.
Both Coun. Hazel Braithwaite and Eric Zhekla noted they’d consider putting only half the ice costs toward estimatesdiscussion.
“Given it comes right back to Oak Bay I feel strongly we should support the full amount,” said Coun. Michelle Kirby.
Council agreed to put the full amount forward for full council discussion.
Greater Victoria Spirit Committee seeks $5,000 to support 11 events to celebrate Canada’s 150th. Oak Bay usually grants$1,000 for Canada Day celebrations in the Inner Harbour.
The Robert Bateman Centre seeks $2,500 for the Urban Sanctuary Project, an initiative to inspire others to become involvedin the practices of healthy ecosystems, with special focus on three south Island migratory bird sanctuaries.
Community Association of Oak Bay sought $500 above last year’s $1,500 request due to demand for the communityconversations developed last year.
Friends of Uplands Park’s request is up $500 from last year’s $1,500 to fund more equipment.
A new application to Oak Bay, the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team seeks $2,500. The Greater Victoria Bike to WorkSociety again seeks $2,000 (a representative notes Oak Bay represents eight per cent of participants, impressive at just fourper cent of the population). The Maritime Museum of BC is working to put on more events this year and seeks $3,500; theywere granted $1,500 last year.
Victoria Film Commission applied for $10,000, the same amount granted last year.
The Oak Bay Community Artists Society seeks $500 for its Bowker Brush Up that anchors Arts and Culture Week in Oak Bayfor 2017. That’s $200 more than received last year, as organizers plan to eliminate the entry fee for community groups toparticipate.
Oak Bay Music Society seeks $500, similar to last year, to host a pair of summer concerts. The Creatively United for thePlanet Society’s $2,500 request could get more discussion as no one was in attendance to answer questions. ThresholdHousing Society looks to receive $4,233, up significantly from last year’s $1,690.69.
The Compost Education Centre seeks $3,675 to fund a highly popular Healing City Soils Project which had an overwhelmingnumber of homeowners from Oak Bay apply for the free soil testing for heavy metals as well as follow up best practicesworkshops.
The NEED2 Suicide Prevention Education and Support seeks a $1,000 grant, despite not receiving one last year.
Oak Bay started cutting back their allocation a couple of years ago, pulling funding altogether last year in a bid to battleoffloading. Much of council felt the program should be dealt with by the health ministry and not local government.
Council didn’t discuss two applications, University of Victoria USports Championships and the Oak Bay Volunteer ServicesSociety, due to lack of quorum. As a part-time employee, Jensen would remove himself from discussion on UVic andlikewise, Zhelka would as a volunteer with the society.