Electoral Area E director Rhona Martin will be looking for grant funding to help keep the Malakwa Community Learning Centre in operation.
At a recent District of Sicamous committee of the whole meeting, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District director for Rural Sicamous-Malakwa offered her support to Sicamous council on four proposed applications to the Economic Opportunity Fund administered by the regional district. These include $50,000 for the Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club to complete an emergency shelter on Eagle Pass; $75,000 for the ongoing operation of the district’s recreation and wellness program; $75,000 for white lights for the highway corridor to entice people into the community; and another $75,000 to go towards highway reader boards to let drivers know what’s happening in the community.
On the last one, Martin said she isn’t a fan of reader boards, that she finds them distracting. Nonetheless, she said she would support the district’s request to the CSRD for grant funding approval. Martin then added she would be coming back to council with a request of her own for the learning centre. A referendum was recently held in Malakwa on a bylaw that would allow the CSRD to tax for the ongoing maintenance and operations. Fifty-seven were in favour, 152 were opposed.
“I just wanted to give you a heads up that probably I’m going to come back to request further funding for the school building, the learning centre…,” said Martin.”I’m sure you’re aware that the referendum failed, but I think that we worked too hard and established too much in the building to lose it. We still have to continue to work on it.”
The learning centre is currently home to a post office outlet, a library, the Malakwa Learning Academy and the resource centre.