County of Grande Prairie council has pledged to provide over $4.5 million in grant funding to numerous community sport, recreation, and cultural organizations in the upcoming year.
According to the county, the $4,501,807 will be split between Community Assistance Grants and Capital Community Projects. These funds reportedly will be used to help the different organizations from the county, along with the communities of Beaverlodge, Grande Prairie, Sexsmith, and Wembley support and offset their operational costs.
The $2,362,321 in Capital Community Projects funding has been allocated to help approximately 18 different non-profit organizations make improvements to their current facilities or are building new facilities. Included in this funding is $500,000 for the La Glace & District Agricultural Society for the Recreation Centre Dry Fit-out, $100,000 to Rising Above for a new building that will double the number of treatment beds available, and $100,000 to the Grande Prairie Emergency Youth Shelter Society. According to the county with the $100,000 in 2024 they will have fulfilled $200,000 of the $300,000 commitment they have made to the youth shelter society.
Of the $2,139,486 in Community Assistance Grants, $475,078 is going to the Grande Prairie Agriculture & Exhibition Society for operations, $100,000 to the Alberta Winter Games, and $429,535 will go to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation for television services installation. According to the municipality, the $100,000 to the Alberta Winter Games will fulfill the $200,000 commitment they made over two years, and the money to the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation will fulfill the $1 million commitment they made.
Earlier in the week Reeve Bob Marshall told mygrandeprairienow.com that non-profit community groups provide such a valuable service to the region’s ratepayers and volunteers.
“There is no way we could provide that service from a county level so anywhere we can help them out with funding and grants and stuff to keep them viable and going.”
A full list of pledged grant allocations can be found on the county’s website.