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FROSTY LOVE Wearing her Canadian Olympic mittens, Shyanne Rowe pours a lemon-vodka drink through the lemon luge — an ice sculpture shaped into a giant Absolut Vodka bottle — at Copper Point Resort’s For Love of the Valley event on Saturday, February 15th. PHOTO BY DAN WALTON For more ‘Valley Life’ photos from the past week, see page A14.
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Local coverage of Sochi continues
Funding pours in for Invermere affordable housing DAN WALTON dan@invermerevalleyecho.com
Life is about to become easier for 18 families in Invermere as the Family Resource Centre will be converting an existing apartment complex into affordable housing. With funding assistance from the provincial and federal governments, the Columbia Basin Trust as well as local organizations and a generous individual, the Family Resource Centre was able to purchase an 18-unit apartment complex on 10th Avenue near Sobeys to revamp into housing for low-income families. There are three buildings, each consisting of six units, and each apartment has two bedrooms. Pat Cope, executive director for the Family Resource Centre, expects the units will be filled “instantly.” “This is a very, very small drop in the bucket of what’s needed,” said Mrs. Cope.
The funding support was made avail“They wanted to be a part of creating a able to her organization after a needs legacy to leave in the valley — this was assessment was conducted in 2013, very generous of them,” said Mrs. Cope. which studied the demand for affordUnder the Investment in Affordable able housing between Spillimacheen Housing 2011-2014 Agreement, a total and Canal Flats. The assessment cost of $744,558 was contributed by the of $30,000 was covered by Regional federal and provincial government to District of East Kootenay Area G. make the project possible. That dollar The building sits on lot 218 10th Av- figure was matched by the Columbia enue and was ocBasin Trust. cupied as a regular This is a very, very In a release from Friapartment complex small drop in the day, February 14th, until it was purchased the Columbia Basin last month. Tenants bucket of what’s needed. Trust reaffirmed that PAT COPE currently occupying FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE one of its strategic units at the apartpriorities is to assist ment complex who qualify for afford- communities in the Columbia Basin to able housing will see their rents re- support affordable housing and new duced, and the remaining units will be housing initiatives. rented to new tenants who are eligible “All partners and community memfor the program. bers connected with this project worked The previous owner of the building hard and worked co-operatively. The left a $100,000 donation with the Family trust is pleased to support increased Resource Centre. access to affordable housing for the
VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator 4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
residents of Invermere,” said Neil Muth, president and chief executive officer. An additional $150,000 will be available through the Province for construction financing during the interim period, while the Family Resource Centre has pitched in $54,000 of its own. “Our government’s investment in affordable housing here in Invermere is helping to improve the quality of life of families in need, and is contributing to the social well-being of the entire community,” said David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay. Rent will be proportionate to each tenant’s income, which Mrs. Cope said will cover the operating costs over its 40-year commitment. “We have a responsibility to maintain a capital budget for ongoing capital,” she said. “The building has to look as good as or better 40 years from now.” See A3
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