Richmond Municipal Council approved grant funds for a number of local and regional groups.
Richmond Municipal Building in Arichat
After extending a grant request from the Arichat Community Development Association to March 31, 2024, at last night’s regular monthly meeting in Arichat, council approved $5,000 for the Louisdale and Area Food Bank Society, $600 for the Re-Nest Furniture Society, $10,000 for the Little Harbour Community Pasture, and $2,000 for the Cape Breton Fiddlers Association.
Although misgivings were expressed by councillors Melanie Sampson and Brent Sampson about supporting fundraisers, council approved $1,500 for the River Bourgeois Mariner Society after getting a breakdown of expenses for their annual poker run.
Municipal staff reached out to the River Bourgeois Community Services Society for more information (including financial statements) following a request for $10,000. But council instead decided to approve $5,000 since “a chunk” of the general budget has already been allocated, according to Melanie Sampson.
After municipal staff contacted the Strait Area Mutual Aid Association to determine how much each municipality is contributing and council received a report from the Emergency Services Coordinator, they greenlit $5,000 for an equipment purchase.
Council agreed to a request from the Loch Lomond Volunteer Fire Department for $5,000 in Infrastructure Grant Funds to allow them to repair the roof on the adjacent community centre to make it a comfort centre, conditional on the department proving they have the financial capacity to finish the project.