Evergreen Park is asking the County of Grande Prairie to give them a helping hand with operating costs for the first six months of 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic has created logistical issues for the organization.
County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leanne Beaupre says the recent presentation in front of council was well-received by all those around the table. She adds despite no decision being made as of now, they have moved it in the appropriate direction.
“We’ve deliberately sent it to budget deliberations so it can be entered into the calculations for administration to potentially find a funding source for council to consider.”
Beaupre adds the challenges of an organization that large, which is potentially looking at a $3 million loss in revenue from events are understandable, and it is an organization they do hope can continue to run smoothly. However, she says in the short term, they’re still facing several daunting challenges.
“They’re dependent on those events to raise operating capital as well as cash flow.”
“Even with the restrictions that are presently on, the cost of putting those events on have skyrocketed because of the additional labour and health costs,” she says.
Beaupre says trying to budget for the ups and downs surrounding COVID-19 has presented unique challenges for many businesses in the region. So far this year, the County of Grande Prairie Council has approved the annual Evergreen Park funding grant of $414,000, as well as support for payroll expenses from February until the end of 2020, for an additional $973,179.