Plans for a Sicamous and Area Cultural Centre are not dead but they are on hold.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District turned down a funding request from Sicamous Chamber of Commerce manager Michelle Wolff and Eagle Valley Arts Council president Kim Hyde.
With support from District of Sicamous Council, pending matching funds from CSRD, the women asked for $100,000 from the Economic Opportunity Fund for a cultural centre that would consolidate the chamber, the District of Sicamous Visitor Centre and the art gallery.
But the request was turned down at this time based on the lack of a comprehensive business plan, no plan for operational expenses and not enough information to evaluate the long-term viability of the project.
In terms of becoming a partner in the project, as requested in the proposal, CSRD Financial Services manager Jodi Kooistra pointed out there is no service area established to fund a cultural centre and elector assent would be required in order to establish one.
CSRD economic development officer Robin Cyr had expressed concern about the long-term sustainability of the cultural centre becoming the visitor centre.
Area E Rural Sicamous director Rhona Martin expressed concerns about the impact on the Red Barn and the museum.
“Shuswap Tourism has no funding available for infrastructure and operating costs; grant in aid funding is not a sustainable funding model and the EOF funds are not a sustainable funding source either,” wrote Kooistra in a May 12 letter to Kelly Bennett, chief financial officer of the District of Sicamous. “In short, we find the proposal to be lacking solid information in terms of ongoing operational funding, viability and a comprehensive plan that addresses funding impacts, community support and social impacts.”
Kooistra signed off by making it clear that CSRD would be willing to re-evaluate the proposal if the above-mentioned concerns are addressed.
“The plan is to continue, but this is such a very busy time and we’re both working off the sides of our desks,” said Wolff on Monday morning, noting the proposal has been well-received by the community both verbally and in writing.
“I think we have a pretty good basis for the business plan and we need more detail, but we’re trying to do it without funding – it’s volunteer hours we’ve been putting in.”
Wolff says the idea to create a cultural centre came from the desire to consolidate the chamber and visitor centre. In subsequent discussion with Hyde, it was thought that including the art gallery in the one building would allow its hours of operation to be extended.
“We’ll do some stuff now, but go harder at it in the fall when we have more time,” said Wolff.
District of Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz said the funds are in limbo until CSRD concerns are addressed.
“We also would require a new business plan proposal as well as to see how they could come up with the rest of the $1.7 million overall cost,” he said.
“They have to put together a business plan and a model that’s gonna make sense and then we’ll probably support it based on those merits.
They have a challenge now on how they could leverage that money.”