Invermere Valley Echo, January 27, 2016

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Warm and wet conditions sent the annual Bonspiel on Lake indoors for the second year in a row, but did nothing to dampen the spirits of participants who played their hearts out at the Invermere Curling Centre, and of local residents who had a great time playing on the lake under the lanterns . PHOTO BY DAVID WEBSTER

New CBT grants no help for multi-use centre BREANNE MASSEY breanne@invermerevalleyecho.com

time period. Several such projects — most prominently the planned new multi-use cenThe Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) will tre in Invermere — would at first blush be offering $3 million in new funding seemed well-poised to take advantage annually for next three years — total- of this new program. But Invermere ling $9 million — through it new Recre- mayor Gerry Taft, said previous fundation Infrastructure Grants, which are ing applications (worth $500,000) to meant to construct new infrastructure the CBT for the multi-use centre make or to make upgrades to existing infra- it unlikely for the project to get any money through the new grants. structure. “The District of Invermere (DOI) has The grants are aimed at helping communities make improvements to struc- applied for significant funding from tures and spaces, such as backcoun- CBT,” said Mr. Taft. “The final decision try trail networks, swimming pools, and announcement on this funding should come ice rinks, curling arenas, It is unlikely we very soon. The sports fields and parks with the goal of encouraging Bawould be able to money the DOI has applied for sin residents to lead active ‘double dip’. lifestyles; while supporting GERRY TAFT is distinct and MAYOR, DISTRICT OF INVERMERE separate from recreational tourism in the the new RecEast Kootenay region. reational Infra“Residents have told us that recreation and physical activity structure Grants announced recently.” Mr. Taft believes the DOI will have an are important to them both in terms opportunity to apply to the new recof lifestyle and health,” said Neil Muth, CBT president and chief executive offi- reational grant stream for other projcer. “We’re pleased we can quickly ad- ects, besides the multi-use centre, but dress their needs and wishes by acting anticipates trying to use the new grant on this priority. Substantial support program for the centre would result in like this will help create significant rejection. “It is unlikely that we would be able benefits in the communities.” The new grant program, he added to ‘double dip’ and use any of the new in a recent press release, is aimed to recreational funding on this first phase support large scale projects in a short of the multi-use centre,” he explained.

While the multi-use centre won’t be able to take advantage of the new CBT recreational infrastructure grants, the Westside Legacy Trail (promotion poster above) likley will. File photo. But the valley’s other major planned recreational infrastructure project — the Westside Legacy Trail — should have no such problem, and the Greenways Trail Alliance will be applying to the CBT for some of the new recreation infrastructure grant funding for the trail. “We have contacted CBT and are awaiting specific funding require-

ments, amounts and other program details,” said Mark Hawla, Greenways Trail Alliance executive director. “Yes, our request will be for the Westside Legacy Trail.” Other projects wishing to apply to the new CBT program, should contact manager Rick Allen at 1-800-505-8998 or e-mail grants@cbt.org to discuss project ideas.


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