EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
MOE to look into weekend industrial burn Page 2
Kilroe brings country legends to legion stage Page 8
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 PM40008236
Vol. 59 No. 16 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Grants given boost with travel money
Budget: District finance committee finds $11,000 for community groups.
By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The district’s finance committee has found an additional $11,000 in the budget to support community groups through grants in aid. On Monday, finance committee chair, Coun. Terry Rysz, told the News that after a two-hour discussion, he and fellow councillors on the committee arrived at a solution to compensate for district grant-in-aid requests that had previously been pared down. The proposed changes are as follows: Eagle Valley Snowmobiling Grooming Society will receive an additional $5,000, bringing their grant to $12,500 of the $20,000 requested; Eagle Valley Community Support Society will receive an additional $4,000, bringing … grant in aid their grant up to $6,000 was a pretty hot ($8,000 requested); Eatopic, and I think gle Valley Arts Council council has done will receive and addia very good job of tional $1,500, increasreconstructing this ing the grant to their so we could accomfully requested amount modate people to the of $3,200; and the best of our ability. Shuswap Community Terry Rysz Foundation will receive an extra $500, bringing their amount to $750 ($1,000 requested). “After dealing with this enormous budget for Sicamous, grant in aid was a pretty hot topic, and I think that our council has done a very good job of reconstructing this so we could accommodate people to the best of our ability,” said Rysz. For the 2014 budget, council had to reduce $71,400 worth of grant requests to meet the oneper cent of the municipal budget – approximately $40,000 – allotted to grant-in-aid funding. The $11,000, Rysz explained, was taken from See Amended budget on page 2
District debris: An excavator looms over a pile of wood that was the former District of Sicamous municipal office on Riverside Avenue. Torn down last Wednesday, the building was slated for demolition after extensive damage occurred from the flooding event in the summer of 2012. Photo by Lachlan Labere
Sicamous Legion fights to keep doors open
Changes: Friday openings, new events intended to boost revenue. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
A difficult economy and the province’s strict liquor laws have helped put Sicamous’ Legion in a precarious financial position. Royal Canadian Legion Branch #99 president Murray Williams says the legion is down to its two-month cash reserve. If they should go through that, the legion may have to close its doors. But Williams doesn’t expect it will come to that. “Right now, we’re keeping our heads above, we haven’t had to go and hit our savings,” said Williams. “This new executive has been working their butts off with special events and entertainment and a membership drive. We have 35 new members this year. There’s been a bit of a
swing to younger members on the executive, and that seems to be helping.” To address declining revenues, the legion has been changing things up a bit. This includes now being open Friday nights with a pool/crib/darts night that’s going over well, and entertainment every second Friday. Plans are also being made for future events, including a family function for Legion Week, June 21 to 30. The legion has also been bringing in some unusual acts that, so far, have been very successful. In October, Neil Diamond tribute artist Jason Scott performed to a sold-out audience. On May 2, the legion hosts tribute artist Bonnie Kilroe (see page 8). Williams says if this show is as successful as Scott’s, the legion will work at bringing similar performances to town.
Williams says part of the legion’s financial difficulties has to do with a general public misunderstanding of who can become a member. “A lot of people think you have to be a veteran, which is not true. Anybody can be a member of the legion,” said Williams, who acknowledges all local drinking establishments are having a tough go at it. “We are very hard hit because we have no industry here, our population is becoming more seasonal,” said Williams. A key difference with the legion, however, is that it’s a non-profit organization. “We have our meat draws and our 50/50s and all that money goes back into the community. We’re allowed a very small percentage of that for administraSee Difficult economy on page 2