[2:56] Uh, is there anyone who would like to

[2:58] make any changes to that? And I

[2:59] understand there are two additional

[3:01] unregistered delegations.

[3:03] >> Um, I understood that correctly.

[3:06] » Um, I understood that correctly.

[3:06] >> Recording in progress.

[3:07] » Recording in progress.

[3:08] >> Recording in progress.

[3:11] » Recording in progress.

[3:11] >> Yes. Yes, chair. That's correct. We have

[3:13] » Yes. Yes, chair. That's correct. We have

[3:13] some unregistered delegations.

[3:17] >> Okay, great. So, uh, would someone like

[3:19] » Okay, great. So, uh, would someone like

[3:19] to,

[3:21] >> uh, move the agenda? Trying to

[3:25] » uh, move the agenda? Trying to

[3:25] >> Okay. Director Lennox, Director Brander,

[3:27] » Okay. Director Lennox, Director Brander,

[3:27] is there any discussion on that?

[3:29] >> Director Brener, is there any discussion

[3:30] » Director Brener, is there any discussion

[3:30] on that?

[3:32] >> Seeing none, I will call the question.

[3:33] » Seeing none, I will call the question.

[3:33] All those in favor,

[3:36] none opposed. Motion carried. Okay. So,

[3:39] our first uh delegation is Tom Reed, the

[3:41] president, sorry, the president and

[3:42] Senica Anthony Texa Agricultural Group.

[3:46] Uh so the floor is yours uh Danica and

[3:50] Tom and you have 10 minutes and then we

[3:52] have uh then we'll have some opportunity

[3:54] for questions.

[3:57] >> I'm trying to

[4:02] » can you can you get

[4:04] >> Hold on. It's fighting me. Why is it

[4:06] » Hold on. It's fighting me. Why is it

[4:06] fighting me? It wasn't fighting me two

[4:08] seconds ago.

[4:09] >> We can hear you. We just can't see you.

[4:12] » We can hear you. We just can't see you.

[4:12] >> Okay.

[4:13] » Okay.

[4:13] >> Do you need to see us? Do you want to

[4:14] » Do you need to see us? Do you want to

[4:14] see us? Let me see.

[4:16] Um

[4:17] >> I don't know.

[4:17] » I don't know.

[4:18] >> There's not much to see.

[4:18] » There's not much to see.

[4:18] >> There's not much to see. We're not that

[4:20] » There's not much to see. We're not that

[4:20] beautiful.

[4:20] >> I'll just jump in. We have 10 minutes

[4:23] » I'll just jump in. We have 10 minutes

[4:23] and let's get going. Um I'm I'm Tom Reed

[4:26] and and Senica is going to we're going

[4:29] to share this presentation. I'll start

[4:30] and she'll finish. The um

[4:34] the project uh that we're asking for

[4:36] funding on is our um full pantry

[4:41] initiative which is part of our food

[4:42] security uh group that we're work that

[4:45] we're doing. And to bring you up to

[4:48] speed from last year, hello. Okay. From

[4:51] last year, we we um we did get a federal

[4:57] grant last um

[5:01] I'm sorry. I'm Are you Can you hear me?

[5:04] Okay.

[5:04] >> Yeah. That was uh my internet

[5:06] » Yeah. That was uh my internet

[5:06] reconnecting. Sorry about that.

[5:11] » All right. So, [clears throat]

[5:15] the main point I wanted to make is um

[5:18] we're trying to

[5:20] leverage that federal grant to cover

[5:24] expenses that were ineligible under that

[5:27] grant. And this is all in the proposal

[5:28] that you should have in front of you.

[5:30] And um and what we're doing with our

[5:33] presentation today is just highlighting

[5:35] a few things. So we want to leverage

[5:37] that. And then we also had some um

[5:41] uh outreach expenses and operating

[5:43] expenses as a result of this grant. So

[5:47] that aren't covered by that. So the what

[5:49] we're asking you for today will actually

[5:51] accomplish everything and meet our goal

[5:54] of beginning this um service with our

[5:59] five new freeze dryers that we've

[6:01] acquired. Um beginning that in

[6:03] September. So um I'd like to just say um

[6:09] that's kind of the the key message, but

[6:10] I also want to mention something else

[6:12] and that is just coming back to why food

[6:14] security is so important. I I can't just

[6:17] assume everybody knows that, but there's

[6:19] three basic reasons that we see. The

[6:21] first is a fairly obvious one that that

[6:23] we are vulnerable in chat. We get

[6:26] basically

[6:29] um there's been a figure used over the

[6:31] years of 97% of our food is imported.

[6:34] That's come from a number of reports

[6:36] going back 14 years.

[6:38] I don't know how that to verify that

[6:40] number, but we know it's a lot. And

[6:42] anecdotally, almost all of that food

[6:45] comes through um the barge terminal at

[6:48] the city harbor. It's uh it's not on the

[6:51] fairies. Those barges uh carry many

[6:54] trucks worth of food. And if you put all

[6:56] that on the fairies, it wouldn't be all

[6:57] out of room for other people. So, it

[6:59] comes in through the barge and gets

[7:02] distributed around the region. Um some

[7:04] of it, of course, comes in on trucks

[7:06] from Vancouver Island, but um that's not

[7:08] most of it. So we have we have some

[7:10] vulnerability and we want to improve our

[7:12] local food security by doing more food

[7:15] preservation which is often overlooked

[7:17] in favor of production. Secondly,

[7:20] there's a matter of quality. Um what

[7:23] [clears throat] you import might not be

[7:25] the best quality but locally we're

[7:27] capable of producing some very high

[7:28] quality food here. And thirdly it's

[7:31] affordability and I want to speak about

[7:32] that next. Um the um

[7:38] affordability is and when it comes to

[7:41] food is looked at different ways.

[7:42] There's a University of G experts on

[7:45] food security advocate giving people

[7:48] more money with which to buy food. Um

[7:51] what food security problem? Just it's a

[7:53] money problem. That's what they say. Um

[7:56] another way to approach affordability is

[7:59] that you see governments do is put price

[8:01] caps on food. uh that's not likely to

[8:04] happen. In fact, neither one of those

[8:05] things are likely to happen. So what we

[8:08] see is uh currently in the the the food

[8:11] system, the industrial food system, the

[8:13] middleman takes most of the money, takes

[8:15] they get it. The farmers get much less.

[8:19] So what we're trying to do here is um

[8:22] kind of go around the middleman and go

[8:25] get more households to be more

[8:27] responsible for their own food supply.

[8:29] And I know this, you know, going one

[8:31] household at a time seems like it's not

[8:34] to scale, but it does add up over time.

[8:36] So, um, by focusing on food preservation

[8:40] and freeze drying, which Senica is going

[8:41] to tell you why we chose that, um, we

[8:44] think that that will make a dent in food

[8:46] security over time. Um, there's a couple

[8:49] of other things, too. Once we take more

[8:51] responsibility for our own food supply,

[8:53] we achieve some price stabilization.

[8:56] We're not subject to every global oil

[8:59] price spike or anything like that. We

[9:01] can um we can do get around that by by

[9:04] sticking with what we can produce

[9:06] locally using our own fertility program

[9:07] here. Um and uh with that I'll turn it

[9:10] over to Senica.

[9:12] >> Okay. And you can go to the next slide

[9:15] » Okay. And you can go to the next slide

[9:15] for me.

[9:18] Um so some other benefits that will come

[9:22] from this project is that

[9:23] >> you want additional benefits. This is

[9:25] » you want additional benefits. This is

[9:25] >> Yeah. I don't. Could you go to the next

[9:26] » Yeah. I don't. Could you go to the next

[9:26] slide for me? They can hear me.

[9:30] Um the there's more um the food hub is

[9:36] located in the school and our Oh, you

[9:39] want to go up a bit? I do that up one

[9:41] more. Oh, perfect. Um the youth from the

[9:46] school actually school districtwide

[9:48] could have um should have access will

[9:51] have access to this for education. then

[9:54] they can become more familiar with food

[9:57] security, with storing their own, with

[9:59] having a full pantry, rotating it, bring

[10:02] that home to their families and bring

[10:04] that um into their adult lives. Also, we

[10:09] um have already had at the hub and we

[10:11] will definitely have more with these

[10:13] freeze dryers uh entrepreneurs, people

[10:16] who want to do businesses. Um, we've had

[10:19] some slightly interesting ideas come

[10:21] forward that are like, "Oh, I wonder if

[10:23] that'll work." Um, but people can try

[10:25] them in uh an environment where they

[10:28] don't have to cough up all that upfront

[10:30] cost themselves and see what works and

[10:32] then maybe they um can take that

[10:34] technology and leverage that and buy

[10:37] their own or it's it's a way for people

[10:39] to experiment.

[10:40] >> Isn't that how you got into freeze

[10:41] » Isn't that how you got into freeze

[10:41] drying?

[10:41] >> That is exactly anyway. and um emergency

[10:45] » That is exactly anyway. and um emergency

[10:45] food supply which is I mean fairly

[10:48] self-explanatory doesn't need to be

[10:49] refrigerated doesn't need to be frozen

[10:51] people can have their own stocks for

[10:55] power outages for ferry outages all that

[10:58] kind of stuff so if you want to go to

[11:00] the next slide

[11:02] um we my family tried freeze drying at

[11:06] the hub because there was one freeze

[11:07] dryer there it's no longer there but um

[11:10] we tried it in I think it was about 2019

[11:14] and we were like, "Okay, this we need to

[11:16] do more of this because it solved so

[11:18] many problems that we had because we

[11:20] farm and you have excess of something

[11:22] and then what do you do with it? You

[11:23] freeze it, it gets lost in the freezer,

[11:24] it gets freezer burned, yada yada like

[11:26] it's it's solves all of those problems.

[11:29] You can you can store something and it

[11:30] stays just as nice as the day you picked

[11:32] it and then in the depths of winter

[11:34] you're like, "Oh, oh, I have I have I

[11:37] have squash. I have beans. I have these

[11:40] things that you can kind of bring the

[11:42] summer into at into the time when you

[11:44] don't have it. So, it's it's just it's

[11:47] awesome technology. It's amazing and I

[11:49] more people should have access to it.

[11:51] Okay. So, you want to give us give me

[11:52] the last slide there.

[11:56] Um so, in conclusion, whenever you get

[11:59] to the last slide, um our little

[12:01] timeline, I'll start at the bottom. Our

[12:03] little timeline is um we want to have

[12:06] this project fully implemented by the

[12:09] fall so people can take advantage of all

[12:12] the stuff they harvest in the fall and

[12:13] they can just like dive right into it.

[12:15] So we want to have some people educated.

[12:17] We want to have this program rolling by

[12:18] the fall. Um our equipment is on the way

[12:21] right now and we want to really like be

[12:24] able to fully set it off and get it

[12:27] going. So TAG's been around um doing the

[12:30] food hub since 2012. So, we're very

[12:32] stable and it's like we can deliver this

[12:34] for a long term. We have dedicated

[12:37] volunteers. We are like we know what

[12:40] we're doing more or less. Um, and we're

[12:42] going to we're going to learn along the

[12:43] way anything we don't know. Um, and

[12:45] we're here asking for the $12,491

[12:51] to for those ineligible expenses from

[12:54] that large grant that we got and we hope

[12:56] to get from other industry partners as

[12:58] well. um so that we can fully implement

[13:01] this and breathe easily and we can

[13:03] provide that to everyone equally like

[13:06] with low income people aren't gonna

[13:08] we're not going to be having to to try

[13:10] to extract money from people and that we

[13:12] can um have food security equally for

[13:15] everyone. Thanks. I think that's all we

[13:18] got.

[13:19] >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh

[13:22] » Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh

[13:22] are there questions from the board? I

[13:24] see Director McCormack. Go ahead.

[13:26] >> Thank you, Chair. Um really interesting

[13:29] » Thank you, Chair. Um really interesting

[13:29] presentation. Thank you very much for

[13:31] that. Um my questions are

[13:34] >> can anything be prescribed?

[13:37] » can anything be prescribed?

[13:37] Um and what's the shelf life?

[13:40] >> The shelf life is about 30 years and

[13:44] » The shelf life is about 30 years and

[13:44] what was your first part of your

[13:45] question? Sorry you cut off cut out.

[13:47] >> Yeah, sorry. Technology is not our

[13:49] » Yeah, sorry. Technology is not our

[13:49] friend today.

[13:50] >> No, it's um u can anything be

[13:54] » No, it's um u can anything be

[13:54] freeze-dried? anything from meat to fish

[13:57] to um cheese to mushrooms to whatever.

[14:02] >> Yes,

[14:03] » Yes,

[14:03] >> pretty much anything. Um some things

[14:07] » pretty much anything. Um some things

[14:07] it's a little bit of a learning curve.

[14:08] Some things are better than others. We

[14:10] freeze-dried rhubarb juice and that was

[14:12] terrible. That was the worst thing. It

[14:14] tasted like some kind of extreme like

[14:16] challenge sour candy. Do not recommend.

[14:19] But most things freeze dry really well

[14:21] and some thing they pretty much anything

[14:23] can freeze dry except for like butter

[14:25] like fat it doesn't because it doesn't

[14:27] have any moisture in it. So then you

[14:29] like it doesn't preserve like that but

[14:32] meals fish yeah you can freeze dry

[14:34] pretty much anything you can imagine.

[14:36] >> Thank you.

[14:39] » Thank you.

[14:39] >> Thank you. Are there director Lennin?

[14:41] » Thank you. Are there director Lennin?

[14:41] >> Thanks chair. Uh thanks for your

[14:42] » Thanks chair. Uh thanks for your

[14:42] presentation. you know, we're u always

[14:45] looking at different grants and I think

[14:47] you explained it quite well that uh like

[14:50] a lot of grants, there's a federal one

[14:51] here, the LFIF grant and um that there's

[14:55] a gap that uh isn't provided by those

[14:59] grants. So, uh what is the LFIF grant,

[15:02] please?

[15:04] >> What program is that? Okay, that's

[15:06] » What program is that? Okay, that's

[15:06] [clears throat] that's from Agriculture

[15:07] and Food Canada and it's a U it stands

[15:11] for Local Food Infrastructure Fund,

[15:14] LFIF. So, and this is the small projects

[15:18] uh part of the LFIF. They have a larger

[15:20] projects one. When they say small

[15:22] projects, they mean um they would

[15:25] entertain proposals up to 125,000

[15:29] and our proposal was 117,000

[15:32] and we were granted 88,000. Um they they

[15:36] took off for um the sales tax on

[15:38] equipment and an air conditioner, a

[15:42] window mounted air conditioner. Um

[15:44] >> and uh there was no um for like

[15:47] » and uh there was no um for like

[15:48] education and stuff like that. It's

[15:49] infrastructure only. So to get people to

[15:52] get the freeze dryers is one thing, but

[15:54] then to get the people in the freeze

[15:55] dryers to work together, we need like

[15:57] you need a bit of funding for that.

[15:58] >> Yeah. And LFIF has been around for

[16:00] » Yeah. And LFIF has been around for

[16:00] several years and has a a future. So

[16:02] it's this is a well-known program.

[16:06] >> Okay. Thanks for that.

[16:08] » Okay. Thanks for that.

[16:08] >> Great. Uh thank you. Are there any other

[16:10] » Great. Uh thank you. Are there any other

[16:10] questions? Well, with that, I will thank

[16:13] you for your presentation and we will be

[16:14] considering applications at a future

[16:16] meeting, probably the next finance

[16:18] committee meeting.

[16:19] >> Thank you very much. Thank you.

[16:21] » Thank you very much. Thank you.

[16:21] >> Yeah, you're

[16:21] » Yeah, you're

[16:21] >> welcome. Our second delegation is from

[16:24] » welcome. Our second delegation is from

[16:24] Nikki Bernett, secretary of Fort Tides

[16:26] Hospice Society. Um, Miss Bernett, I

[16:29] believe you're in the audience, so uh

[16:31] staff will help you come forward and

[16:33] you'll have 10 minutes to present to us

[16:35] and then questions

[16:44] next to move through your slides.

[16:48] Thank you.

[16:51] Hi everyone,

[16:52] sir.

[16:54] Uh my name is Nikki Ba. I'm with the

[16:56] Four Tides Hotsp society. Thank you very

[16:58] much for having us here today and

[16:59] considering our proposal. Um I'm on the

[17:03] board of directors as secretary. Uh our

[17:05] two staff members unfortunately couldn't

[17:06] be here today. So I'm going to do my

[17:09] best to present this instead.

[17:11] So uh what we're seeking funding for is

[17:13] help running some of the fantastic

[17:15] programming that we do. for Heidi's

[17:17] Hospice Society seeks to address grief

[17:20] and bereavement in our community and to

[17:22] support people who are in their end of

[17:23] life journeys. Um I'm a registered nurse

[17:27] working in paliotative care and so this

[17:29] society is very close and near to my

[17:31] heart and I know that it affects every

[17:33] single member of our cath community from

[17:36] Texa Island where we operate services

[17:38] colama nation as well as all throughout

[17:40] the rest of Kat as well. So it's

[17:42] something that of course all of us go

[17:43] through and um our programming does our

[17:46] very best to look after everyone within

[17:48] it. So um we're a registered society

[17:54] powered by volunteers in our community.

[17:56] We're also in growing at a really rapid

[17:58] pace. So we've gone from uh 200 to over

[18:01] 300 referrals each year addressing

[18:03] people who are at the end of their life

[18:05] and their community members that are

[18:07] supporting them including their family

[18:09] and friends. Um, we received no actual

[18:13] government funding for our services. So,

[18:14] it's all based on fundraising and

[18:17] grants. So, that's a lot to worry about.

[18:20] We've hired uh some new staff to address

[18:22] our growing needs and also as we start

[18:25] to transition and build momentum towards

[18:27] maybe eventually a hospice house in the

[18:29] next couple of years. Um, so yeah, I

[18:32] wanted to talk a little bit about some

[18:34] of the programming that this grant would

[18:36] help support over the next couple of

[18:37] years.

[18:39] Um,

[18:41] so our philosophies were centered on

[18:43] supporting the social, emotional,

[18:45] spiritual being of those who are dying

[18:47] and their families and their caregivers.

[18:49] We recognize that dying is a normal part

[18:51] of living and our supports supplement

[18:54] medical care. So we we're focused more

[18:56] on holistic care. Um, as a nurse, I see

[18:59] that we do our very best along with our

[19:01] physician colleagues and other uh allied

[19:03] health colleagues to address the medical

[19:05] aspects of dying. But it leaves a big

[19:07] gap where it comes to the holistic

[19:09] emotional sides of it. And that's where

[19:10] the four tides hospice society uh does a

[19:13] really good job filling those gaps with

[19:15] people at the end of life as well as

[19:17] people who are caregivers for them. Um

[19:20] and it's confidential and it's free to

[19:23] everyone in the kafka community.

[19:27] So yeah, this year we've uh gone well

[19:30] over 300 referrals and we continue to

[19:32] increase um at a fairly rapid pace. We

[19:36] offer 98 almost 100 group offerings

[19:39] every year. So these look like one on

[19:41] sorry group offerings. These look like

[19:43] uh caregiver groups. The walking support

[19:46] care

[19:47] um group for complicated grief. Uh we

[19:52] also support clients at the end of their

[19:54] lives and we support caregivers and we

[19:56] support the bereaveved. We receive

[19:58] referrals from all over the community.

[20:00] These can be from clients, caregivers,

[20:03] um healthcare providers. of GPS,

[20:05] specialists, home nurses, the emergency

[20:08] department, and other places. And we

[20:10] have over 50 volunteers that we go

[20:12] through and train. And it's an extensive

[20:15] um several week long process. Many many

[20:17] hours go into it. And that's done um out

[20:21] of the we have right now only two staff

[20:23] members that put all of this on. We also

[20:26] put on regional um advanced care

[20:29] planning workshop several times a year

[20:30] as well.

[20:33] Um, so we're part of the community.

[20:35] We're always out and about trying our

[20:37] very best to um advocate advocate for

[20:41] care of the people who are at end of

[20:42] life and addressing grief in the

[20:44] community.

[20:46] Um, so some of our programming that

[20:49] runs, we have the volunteer visiting

[20:52] program. So people who are at end of

[20:54] life can get a trained volunteer for

[20:57] free that comes to their house and

[20:59] speaks with them and talks about their

[21:01] end of life journey, helps them to

[21:03] create um and visualize what end of life

[21:06] is going to be and offer personalized

[21:07] support um in that emotional holistic

[21:10] way. Um this can be done in people's

[21:14] homes as well as over the phone. It

[21:16] could be done via Zoom and it allows um

[21:19] people a little bit of time to to

[21:21] reflect on the end of their life and to

[21:23] hopefully feel support in those times of

[21:25] need. Um it also allows caregivers a bit

[21:29] of a rest break. So if someone needs to

[21:31] go out and maybe that caregiver wants to

[21:32] just go for a walk, then we the

[21:35] volunteer will sit with the loved one

[21:36] who's at who's facing end of life and um

[21:40] can go for a much needed just break to

[21:42] have a breath and kind of reset because

[21:44] it's a very exhausting emotional uh

[21:47] journey to care for someone at the end

[21:48] of life. Our caregiving support groups,

[21:51] so we have individual onetoone in the

[21:54] home over the phone. We have group

[21:56] settings. So, we've got various group

[21:58] settings for people who are bereaveved

[22:00] as well as um a brief walking group at

[22:03] the Seawwalk that runs. And then like I

[22:06] mentioned the advanced care planning

[22:07] workshops that we support in the

[22:09] community up to four a year as well as

[22:12] um some annual memorial events like the

[22:15] celebrate a life Christmas tree event

[22:17] that happens in the mall and the

[22:18] memorial momento memory that happens in

[22:20] the fall.

[22:24] Um we continue to work towards building

[22:26] a hospice house in Kit that it's

[22:28] something that we've been making a lot

[22:30] of progress on recently. Um our society

[22:33] is growing and the more grants that we

[22:36] can receive that help look after our

[22:38] basic stability of our programming the

[22:40] more focus that we can put on towards

[22:42] moving forward with this hospice house.

[22:44] Our board is really passionate about

[22:46] moving that project ahead, but our core

[22:48] thing is to keep our programming stable

[22:51] um because it makes such a difference in

[22:52] our community right now.

[22:56] Um so yeah, our website's up there. It's

[22:59] got lots of good information on it. Um I

[23:03] think that and this some of our contact

[23:05] information.

[23:07] That is the majority of what I wanted to

[23:09] say today. I think I finish a little bit

[23:12] early and move on to questions if anyone

[23:14] has any.

[23:15] >> Thank you very much. Does anyone uh

[23:17] » Thank you very much. Does anyone uh

[23:17] around the committee have any questions

[23:20] for our delegate?

[23:22] Any

[23:24] Oh, director. Go ahead.

[23:27] >> Chair, thank you very much. Been

[23:30] » Chair, thank you very much. Been

[23:30] following hospice since uh kind of

[23:33] before it really started here. And I was

[23:36] amazed how early on in the his history

[23:40] within two or three years of serving 25%

[23:44] of of

[23:47] people departing.

[23:49] >> Uh so and your numbers have only

[23:52] » Uh so and your numbers have only

[23:52] increased since then. Obviously this is

[23:54] something that is I really personally am

[23:57] delighted to see our culture changing to

[24:01] embrace what hospice does. My question

[24:06] has to do with uh grief. Um personally

[24:10] and having a background that has been

[24:12] served very well by

[24:14] utilizing grief as a tool.

[24:19] I'm curious

[24:21] in how is there training for are you

[24:24] training people who are going through

[24:26] the process of needing the service

[24:29] um or is this specifically like how how

[24:32] is grief is it evolving in in um what's

[24:37] being offered through hospice.

[24:39] >> Yeah, absolutely. Um we have an amazing

[24:42] » Yeah, absolutely. Um we have an amazing

[24:42] um employee Anna burn who is an expert

[24:46] in um grief and has a lot of personal

[24:50] relation to it as well. And so she runs

[24:52] our volunteer um training program. I

[24:54] believe it's a six-w weekek training

[24:56] program and they're long days like eight

[24:57] hour days. And so there's a big emphasis

[25:00] on um on grief and about kind of that

[25:04] like community sharing of grief because

[25:06] grief is such an individual process. But

[25:09] in these community groups that we

[25:11] facilitate um you can usually relate to

[25:13] other people and kind of share in grief

[25:16] and understand it a little bit deeper.

[25:18] So that's really embedded within a lot

[25:19] of the um the programming. We're so

[25:21] lucky to have Anna as a part of it as

[25:23] well too. know her. Uh so it is group

[25:26] work that you're that's a a large part

[25:29] of the focus of the work that you're

[25:31] doing.

[25:31] >> Ah yeah, a lot of the programs are are

[25:33] » Ah yeah, a lot of the programs are are

[25:33] group um for some people they really do

[25:35] care about an individual one. So we

[25:37] offer both but we do run um group brief

[25:41] programs throughout the year as well.

[25:43] But for people where they maybe they

[25:45] don't feel ready to to go on um to a

[25:48] group they want to be more personal with

[25:49] it. It can be individual as well um

[25:52] based. And I know as my my day role as a

[25:55] a nurse, I'm constantly referring to

[25:57] Fort Tides Hospice Society because there

[25:59] isn't anything in our like medical

[26:01] system that really like addresses that

[26:04] is one-off counseling, but it's um it's

[26:06] not the same level that Fort Tides is

[26:08] and it's just not um valued as much it

[26:11] seems like in our in our uh medical

[26:13] system. So, it's nice to have these

[26:15] organizations that are communitydriven

[26:18] for the community. Um, yeah, really

[26:20] focused at like what this community

[26:22] needs.

[26:23] >> We're really cutting a vanguard edge in

[26:26] » We're really cutting a vanguard edge in

[26:26] more conventional more conventional

[26:29] practices to follow.

[26:31] That's just totally wonderful. Thank

[26:33] you.

[26:35] >> Thank you for that. Are there any other

[26:37] » Thank you for that. Are there any other

[26:37] uh questions from the committee?

[26:41] >> Seeing no one with their hand up, I want

[26:42] » Seeing no one with their hand up, I want

[26:42] to thank you for your presentation. It

[26:43] was very good and we'll consider your

[26:45] application in an upcoming meeting.

[26:48] Thank you all.

[26:50] >> Thank you. Uh our third No, I maybe I

[26:54] » Thank you. Uh our third No, I maybe I

[26:54] don't didn't understand something about

[26:56] the dragon boat. Maybe Rebecca can help

[26:58] with this. Is it Is it Katie Souls

[27:00] that's in the audience there?

[27:04] Yes.

[27:07] » Okay. So, next up,

[27:14] » I'm gonna hang up my

[27:18] >> Okay, Director Fall, I had just muted

[27:20] » Okay, Director Fall, I had just muted

[27:20] you, uh, Carl, so if you could unmute

[27:23] yourself.

[27:24] >> Yeah, thanks. Sorry, I I had my phone

[27:26] » Yeah, thanks. Sorry, I I had my phone

[27:26] on. My internet seems okay now, so I

[27:28] will try that phone in if needed. So,

[27:30] Miss Souls, Texada Island Dragon Boat

[27:33] Club. Uh, you have 10 minutes to present

[27:35] to us and then we'll have some

[27:36] questions. Floor is yours.

[27:38] >> Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and it's

[27:41] » Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and it's

[27:41] wonderful to be here on behalf of the

[27:43] Texa Island Dragon Boat Club. We read

[27:46] about uh the regional district all the

[27:48] time and we hear about decisions. So, to

[27:50] be actually here is a real privilege.

[27:52] So, thank you very much. Uh we are here

[27:56] today like all of all of the people on

[28:00] the agenda to apply for something that

[28:01] we think is essential and it sounds sort

[28:04] of basic but it is essential for us and

[28:06] that's a trailer for our 10p person

[28:09] boat. We're seeking a grant of $1,800

[28:12] which is a portion of the total cost of

[28:15] a trailer and it's a single piece of

[28:18] equipment that really determines whether

[28:20] we can launch the boat or not. Our dock

[28:23] configuration is such that we can't

[28:25] leave our boat in the water. Uh so we

[28:28] have to launch each and every time and

[28:30] so no trailer means uh no no paddling.

[28:33] And we'll get into this a little bit

[28:35] more later.

[28:37] Who we are uh we've been in uh in

[28:40] operation for eight years. We're a

[28:42] community group uh that's joined for

[28:45] fitness, for friendship, for fun. We are

[28:48] uh active eight years. We formed in

[28:51] 2018. And a shout out to uh the Powell

[28:54] River uh Paddlers for Life. They were

[28:56] instrumental in getting us up and

[28:58] running. And as a regional district, I'm

[29:00] sure you've heard about the regional

[29:01] cooperation of the various dragon boat

[29:04] communities. Uh they lend us boats, we

[29:06] lend them paddles. Uh everything is is a

[29:10] really good cooperation between uh

[29:12] different groups. Uh there's about 35

[29:15] active paddlers and we have two two

[29:18] dragon boats. One dragon boat is for uh

[29:22] up to 20, but being a smaller club, we

[29:25] often don't get 20. Uh so we need a

[29:28] smaller boat for those days when there's

[29:31] 10, 8 to 10. And so that's what uh

[29:34] that's what we need and it makes it it

[29:36] accessible for the whole community. We

[29:39] really believe in inclusivity

[29:41] and in giving back to the community. So

[29:44] our group ranges from ages 20 to 80. We

[29:49] have breast cancer survivors. We have

[29:51] veterans who are working through PTSD.

[29:54] We have uh intellectually disabled uh

[29:57] people and newcomers to the island.

[29:59] Everyone is welcome in the boat and we

[30:01] really cherish the opportunity to share

[30:03] that experience with them. And the bonds

[30:06] that we create on the water in a

[30:08] community of a thousand people certainly

[30:10] then extend to throughout the community.

[30:13] And we really do believe in uh in giving

[30:16] back to the community. This is uh maybe

[30:18] some of you have heard of the Sand

[30:20] Castle weekend. This is the Sand Castle

[30:22] parade that we're in. And we

[30:27] we give back to the community in fun

[30:29] ways, but we also ask from the community

[30:31] through our fundraising. And we have

[30:34] everything from uh community dinners to

[30:38] basket draws to, you know, selling

[30:41] selling items at uh Christmas craft

[30:44] markets. So, uh, we we ask and we do we

[30:47] do give back. Um, one of the ways we're

[30:50] giving back this year is we're the

[30:52] Dragon Club is hosting a Canada Day

[30:54] celebration. That's uh that's going to

[30:57] be a lot of fun and it's uh just an

[30:59] example of how we like to uh to share

[31:02] things with the uh the community.

[31:06] >> Uh going back to why a trailer is

[31:08] » Uh going back to why a trailer is

[31:08] essential. I just got back from a dragon

[31:10] boat camp in Salmon Arm and they get to

[31:14] keep their boats in the water the whole

[31:16] time. So all you do is you walk down to

[31:18] the boat, you jump in and off you go.

[31:22] Many of us have had to learn how to back

[31:24] up with a trailer to launch this boat.

[31:26] And so you can see that the boat which

[31:29] is on the bottom is is is on a trailer

[31:32] and we need to launch it every single

[31:33] time. And so if we don't have a trailer,

[31:36] we can't launch. and uh the community

[31:39] loses its uh its opportunity to uh to

[31:43] battle uh that uh that night. And we're

[31:47] really serious. We took we took backing

[31:49] up lessons all winter to learn how to

[31:52] launch those uh those trailers.

[31:57] So, this is this was us in the uh the uh

[32:00] parade, but um our ask is $1,800

[32:04] that goes towards a $7,200 trailer. Uh

[32:08] it would give us full season access to

[32:10] our boat, continued recreation for uh

[32:14] all of us that are are participant, and

[32:16] really help with the sustained community

[32:18] uh programming on Texa Island.

[32:22] So, thank you very much for considering

[32:24] our application. Any any questions?

[32:26] >> Thank you for the thank you for the

[32:28] » Thank you for the thank you for the

[32:28] presentation. Are there any questions

[32:30] from around the Dr. Lennox? Go ahead.

[32:33] >> Thanks, sir, and thanks for your

[32:34] » Thanks, sir, and thanks for your

[32:34] presentation. Um, uh, you answered some

[32:37] of the questions I had, but I was

[32:39] wondering like who makes a dragon boat

[32:42] trailer. So, like where do you find such

[32:44] a thing? Is it a custom thing or do you

[32:46] just order one off of Amazon or hope

[32:48] not? [laughter]

[32:50] >> From the dragon boat trailer factory. Um

[32:53] » From the dragon boat trailer factory. Um

[32:53] it's uh because dragon boating is so uh

[32:57] so popular. Uh there's there's uh places

[33:00] that specialize in in boat hauling boat

[33:03] trailers and those sorts of things. So

[33:05] it would it would be from there. Uh this

[33:07] would be a second or maybe thirdhand

[33:09] trailer. So we're not buying we're not

[33:12] buying new. Uh it's an interesting

[33:15] culture in the dragon boat community

[33:17] because say for example boats when

[33:19] Powell River they the uh Paddles for

[33:21] Life gave us their first boat so we

[33:24] could start and then we bought better

[33:26] boats and now we're giving one of our

[33:28] boats to another club and the same will

[33:31] probably

[33:32] >> very much pay it forward and the same

[33:34] » very much pay it forward and the same

[33:34] will likely happen. Uh it unfortunately

[33:36] it did not happen with the trailer. We

[33:38] have to we have to buy that trailer.

[33:40] We've got another trailer for our large

[33:42] boat. Uh, and it needed repairs, but we

[33:46] we got a significant portion of the

[33:48] repairs for the large boat trailer

[33:50] donated. And so we had a local welder

[33:54] who they typically run when they see us

[33:56] coming, but they uh they helped us

[33:59] [laughter]

[34:00] imagine. Yeah.

[34:02] >> Thank you.

[34:03] » Thank you.

[34:03] >> Any other questions?

[34:04] » Any other questions?

[34:04] >> Great. So, is there anyone else who has

[34:05] » Great. So, is there anyone else who has

[34:05] a question? Director McCormack.

[34:07] >> Yeah. Thank you. Um, and I really

[34:09] » Yeah. Thank you. Um, and I really

[34:09] enjoyed your presentation. So, thank you

[34:11] for that. And so, as well as the um

[34:14] season of good weather when you're out

[34:16] there boating, uh, do you not have a

[34:18] fitness program as well in the winter

[34:20] time

[34:22] or something like that?

[34:24] >> Thanks, Director McCormack. We paddle uh

[34:26] » Thanks, Director McCormack. We paddle uh

[34:26] in the season which uh depending on

[34:28] weather uh starts usually the 1st of May

[34:31] and until race season uh which is the

[34:34] end of end of September and we go to

[34:36] various races with our trailers and um

[34:39] in the winter we play pickle ball in the

[34:42] school and have uh of course and have

[34:45] exercise programs as well. Yeah.

[34:50] >> Thank you. Thank you. Cool.

[34:53] » Thank you. Thank you. Cool.

[34:53] I don't see any other hands up, but I'll

[34:55] thank you for the interesting

[34:56] presentation and we'll consider your

[34:58] application in a future meeting.

[35:01] >> Well, thank you for the opportunity and

[35:03] » Well, thank you for the opportunity and

[35:03] I I looking at the agenda, you've got

[35:06] several compelling requests and and uh I

[35:09] wish you well in your deliberations.

[35:11] Thank you.

[35:12] >> Thank you very much. It's always a

[35:13] » Thank you very much. It's always a

[35:13] challenge and it's really good to hear

[35:14] from organizations like like yours and

[35:16] others.

[35:18] Okay. So, our third our fourth

[35:19] presentation is Melinda Hourback, a

[35:21] committee chair from the Luski Community

[35:24] Association. And I believe Ms.

[35:26] Hourback's joining us remotely

[35:30] when she gets going on that. There she

[35:32] is. Uh, the floor is yours. Uh, Miss

[35:34] Hourback. You have 10 minutes and then

[35:36] we may have some questions for you.

[35:39] >> Well, thank you. Well, good afternoon

[35:41] » Well, thank you. Well, good afternoon

[35:41] everyone and thanks so much for this

[35:43] opportunity.

[35:45] Um, the skiti community association was

[35:48] established in 1971.

[35:50] It's been ongoing all that time. And,

[35:54] uh, one of the main reasons it was

[35:55] established was to try to build a

[35:57] community hall. And so, back in 1971,

[36:01] they got a LIP grant, which some of you

[36:04] may remember from way back when, to

[36:07] build a community hall. And it uh, we

[36:10] got the foundations were put together.

[36:13] And then about 7 years later in 1977 or

[36:16] 78 we actually started building the hall

[36:18] and that was totally a volunteer

[36:21] donations uh materials money and we got

[36:25] the hall up and running and it's been

[36:28] running continuously since that time and

[36:31] it's used a lot in this community. Uh we

[36:35] some of you directors have actually had

[36:37] come to

[36:39] uh regional director meetings in that

[36:41] hall.

[36:42] and it is a well-used building and

[36:46] therefore it does need some ongoing uh

[36:49] major uh renovations

[36:53] and over the last uh since 2022 the uh

[36:57] the community association through the

[36:59] hall building committee has had a

[37:02] strategic plan and we've done some major

[37:06] uh renovations in terms of making it a

[37:09] much uh warmer space through insulating

[37:12] the floor and the attic and through a u

[37:17] joint effort with the uh fires smart

[37:21] program through the regional district,

[37:23] we got metal skirting around the the

[37:27] hall to make it more fires safe.

[37:30] And then uh just uh a little more than a

[37:34] year and a half ago, we did a very major

[37:36] kitchen renovation which was entirely uh

[37:39] financed through uh donations and and of

[37:43] course in all these endeavors there's uh

[37:46] the main part of the uh labor work is

[37:49] all volunteer.

[37:51] And so, uh, today what I'm asking you

[37:55] for is $5,000

[37:57] to go towards the last item on that

[38:00] strategic plan that we developed. We

[38:03] have a small room that we call the

[38:05] meeting room. And it's a place where

[38:08] people can have some activities, small

[38:11] group activities or meetings. And that

[38:14] uh

[38:16] room, the meeting room, it floor needs

[38:19] some major attention in that it was an

[38:22] add-on after the major part of the hall

[38:25] was built. And now the foundations it it

[38:29] is sitting on, they are slowly sinking

[38:32] into the ground. And so we need to do

[38:35] some very remedial work on those bottom

[38:38] foundations. We need new peers and some

[38:41] joists. And that's it's also going to uh

[38:45] entail doing some residing on the

[38:48] outside because there's been major rot

[38:50] occurring now with that siding. And uh

[38:54] we've looked into uh what it's going to

[38:56] take to do this. and our uh request to

[39:00] you for $5,000 will be matched by funds

[39:04] from the skiti community associ

[39:08] amount of $5,000

[39:10] and uh our volunteer uh labor of course

[39:15] will u match all those amounts as well.

[39:18] We we're really lucky that way. And uh

[39:23] just to let you know that we just have

[39:26] uh

[39:28] a minimum of 20 or 30 events that go on

[39:31] throughout the year either weekly,

[39:34] monthly, annually. It is a wellused and

[39:40] uh cherished building. It's entirely

[39:42] owned by the community association.

[39:46] uh we come up with all everything that's

[39:49] required to keep it running through our

[39:52] rentals or and our

[39:55] and our fundraising

[39:57] and I would ask you to consider our

[40:02] application kindly.

[40:05] >> Great. Thank you very Thank you, Miss

[40:07] » Great. Thank you very Thank you, Miss

[40:07] Alber. Does anyone have any questions

[40:09] besides myself? I'll ask a question but

[40:11] uh if I see any else raise their hand.

[40:14] So I'll ask a question just for

[40:15] clarification. I assume this is the this

[40:17] is the what's called the al cove. Maybe

[40:19] for the benefit of the committee the

[40:21] question is what other things happen? I

[40:23] mean I know I've used it for meetings.

[40:24] It's uh you know you can enter in you

[40:26] can close it off a bit. There's a stove

[40:28] there but is it used for it's called the

[40:31] meeting room but is it you know what

[40:32] else is it used for?

[40:34] >> Uh well there are small groups uh who

[40:36] » Uh well there are small groups uh who

[40:36] may get together for uh yoga. It's a

[40:40] nice small space for yoga. Um there's uh

[40:45] a medit I believe there's some

[40:46] meditation group that uses it. Um and

[40:50] it's uh

[40:53] the uh it's often uh often we have small

[40:57] meetings there like the uh the hall

[40:59] building committee meets in there fairly

[41:00] often [laughter]

[41:02] uh every other month to to six weeks and

[41:05] and other small groups like that. you

[41:07] know, groups of up to 10 people are

[41:09] easily accommodated in there and use it,

[41:12] especially in the winter because you can

[41:13] heat it. The hall itself is a very large

[41:16] building,

[41:18] >> right? So, and I and my understanding, I

[41:20] » right? So, and I and my understanding, I

[41:20] mean, by use of the hall, it's the

[41:21] easiest room to heat in the winter for

[41:24] something short, right? If you can fit

[41:26] it in there, you do if you can't fit it

[41:28] in there, you have to get there earlier

[41:29] and heat the whole building. So,

[41:31] >> that's correct. Yes. Oh, and uh when we

[41:34] » that's correct. Yes. Oh, and uh when we

[41:34] have the elections, because it's also

[41:36] used as the uh uh polling station, uh

[41:40] oftent times it the meeting room can be

[41:43] closed off because most elections tend

[41:45] to be in uh colder times of the year and

[41:48] so we can actually have the actual

[41:51] polling booths right in the meeting room

[41:53] and it's a warmer space.

[41:56] >> That's great. Thank you very much for

[41:58] » That's great. Thank you very much for

[41:58] that. Is there are there any other

[41:59] questions? Uh, Director Linux,

[42:01] >> chair, just quickly, I'm not I think it

[42:03] » chair, just quickly, I'm not I think it

[42:03] might be more for you, but I'm wondering

[42:05] how we get this kind of work done for 15

[42:07] grand because uh that seems like a

[42:11] pretty good deal to me. So,

[42:13] >> yeah. Well, I'll let I mean, I'll I'll

[42:15] » yeah. Well, I'll let I mean, I'll I'll

[42:15] try to address it when it comes to our

[42:16] meeting, but but we have Mazour back

[42:19] here. I'll let her explain what the

[42:20] whole how the whole committee figures

[42:22] they can do anything for this amount of

[42:24] money. So,

[42:25] >> yeah, I believe it. Yeah.

[42:27] » yeah, I believe it. Yeah.

[42:27] Well, um it is a fairly small space.

[42:30] What is it? It's uh it's something like

[42:34] uh 20 by it's not 20 by 10. So, it's

[42:37] it's probably 20 by8.

[42:40] >> And as I say, the uh the volunteer labor

[42:43] » And as I say, the uh the volunteer labor

[42:43] compon component is always free. We

[42:47] really get and uh if we ever need to use

[42:50] uh a machine, that's usually the uh

[42:53] machine operators are willing to help us

[42:55] out. Uh and then uh we uh we have a

[43:01] small amount of uh materials on site

[43:05] right now because we did some tree

[43:08] falling and and lumber milling on site.

[43:12] So we have some materials such as for

[43:15] making the girders and the uh the posts

[43:18] and items like that.

[43:21] >> I suspect it as much. Thank you.

[43:23] » I suspect it as much. Thank you.

[43:23] >> Great. Yeah. Thanks. lots of donation

[43:25] » Great. Yeah. Thanks. lots of donation

[43:25] donated time donated materials but uh

[43:27] yeah it is amazing

[43:29] you know a modest budget for a project

[43:32] like that so I don't see any other hands

[43:34] up so thank you miss hourback um we'll

[43:36] consider the request at a future meeting

[43:38] and uh that was very good to hear from

[43:41] you

[43:42] >> okay well thank you very much it's

[43:44] » okay well thank you very much it's

[43:44] pleasure to do this

[43:48] >> okay our fifth delegation is Joyce

[43:50] » okay our fifth delegation is Joyce

[43:50] Carlson Cathette Festival of Performing

[43:52] Arts And it looks like Miss Carlson's in

[43:56] the audience. So the when you get to

[43:58] your the delegation's table, the floor

[44:00] is yours for 10 minutes and then we'll

[44:02] ask some questions.

[44:04] >> Thank you very much for this opportunity

[44:07] » Thank you very much for this opportunity

[44:07] to present to the regional district.

[44:10] My name is Joyce Carlson as you've been

[44:12] told and I'm here on behalf of our chair

[44:14] Mel Monroe who's not available to

[44:17] attend. And uh we just I have a short we

[44:20] have a short video to show you. This is

[44:22] a video that was prepared for a

[44:24] presentation last year to the city of

[44:27] Pal River um council. So there's like a

[44:32] little bit of math that needs to be

[44:33] done, but um it this gives some history

[44:36] of the festival.

[44:39] [music]

[44:44] Dwight Hall was the venue for [music]

[44:46] the first Paul River Music Festival in

[44:48] 1945. And this February, the 81st event

[44:52] will [music] take place.

[44:54] The festival is the oldest continuing

[44:56] cultural event in the area.

[45:00] Thousands of feet have crossed the

[45:01] festival stages over the past decades

[45:03] [music]

[45:03] from kindergarten performers to seniors.

[45:06] All of them sharing their love of

[45:08] performing arts with appreciative

[45:10] audiences.

[45:12] In addition, so many teachers have

[45:14] shared their passion with those

[45:15] performers and parents have encouraged

[45:17] and supported their youngsters.

[45:21] After its beginnings, the festival

[45:23] received [music] a name change from

[45:24] music festival to festival of the

[45:27] performing arts and another name change

[45:29] occurred from Paul River to chat [music]

[45:32] in the spirit of reconciliation.

[45:35] It now takes place in three venues.

[45:37] [music]

[45:38] James Hall at Paul River Academy of

[45:40] Music, Max Cameron Theater at Brooks

[45:43] Secondary School, and Evergreen Theater

[45:46] at the Paul Rivercreation Complex.

[45:49] >> [music]

[45:49] » [music]

[45:49] >> Former mayor Stuart Algard as a young

[45:52] » Former mayor Stuart Algard as a young

[45:52] boy participated in piano at the first

[45:54] [music] ever festival in 1945 and as a

[45:58] teenager in subsequent years with his

[46:00] [music] high school band.

[46:02] Canadian astronaut Robert Thurk once

[46:05] played piano in the festival as did

[46:07] renowned pianist Don Thompson. While

[46:10] there was one adjudicator for all

[46:11] disciplines in 1945, there is now an

[46:14] adjudicator for each. [music] A group of

[46:17] community volunteers organized the

[46:19] festival until the nights of Pythus and

[46:21] the Python [music] sisters took over

[46:23] that task.

[46:25] When the Python organizations were not

[46:27] able to continue, a group of festival

[46:29] supporters carried on until 2003

[46:32] when the women issued a call for

[46:34] assistance [music] from the community.

[46:37] That call was answered by the Rotary

[46:39] Club of Paul River.

[46:41] members took [music] on the task of

[46:43] leading the organizing committee and

[46:44] have been assisted ever since by

[46:46] community volunteers who understood the

[46:48] workings of the festival.

[46:52] Organizing committee [music] members

[46:53] include Rotarians and community

[46:55] volunteers for the event that features

[46:57] performers in piano, strings,

[47:01] vocal and coral,

[47:03] speech arts,

[47:06] dance

[47:07] as well as band and [music]

[47:09] instrumental.

[47:11] Not knowing much about music, Rotarians

[47:13] applied the 4-way test which guides the

[47:15] international organization of 133,000

[47:19] clubs and more than 1.3 million [music]

[47:21] members around the world. Service above

[47:24] self is its motto and members undertake

[47:27] a multitude of community and

[47:28] international projects.

[47:31] [music]

[47:32] All regular sessions of the festival are

[47:34] open to the public and free of charge

[47:36] with donations gratefully accepted to

[47:38] assist with expenses.

[47:41] Each festival [music] concludes with a

[47:42] grand concert that shows samples of all

[47:44] of the disciplines. Some performers are

[47:47] recommended to attend the annual

[47:49] Performing Arts BC [music] Provincial

[47:51] Festival, which this community hosted in

[47:53] 1997 and 2015.

[47:57] [music] Many performers in the festival

[47:59] have gone on to make a living performing

[48:01] or teaching, continuing [music] to

[48:02] follow their passion for performing

[48:04] arts.

[48:07] The committee is grateful to the Cath

[48:08] Arts Council, the city of Pal River,

[48:11] Cathet School District 47, and Cath

[48:14] Regional District for their continuing

[48:16] financial and inind support for this

[48:19] impactful [music] festival.

[48:25] [music]

[48:27] >> That tells you a little bit about the

[48:28] » That tells you a little bit about the

[48:28] history. So it has been continuously

[48:31] operating since 1945. Even through co we

[48:35] held our grand concert on March 8th 2020

[48:40] and the world shut down on March 12th.

[48:43] So in 2021 we held it virtually. So all

[48:47] of the competitions were videoed and

[48:49] those videos were sent to adjudicators

[48:53] from Toronto and all you know throughout

[48:56] Canada and we were back fullon in in

[49:00] 2022. So, and even me and perhaps Rob,

[49:04] we I performed at a festival of

[49:07] performing arts when I was a student at

[49:09] Cranberry Lake Elementary School. So um

[49:12] it has it has a deep history in the

[49:15] community and um as was mentioned uh the

[49:20] women who were looking after it couldn't

[49:22] do it anymore and they came to a number

[49:24] of community organizations

[49:27] and um they came to Rotary and we said

[49:30] um we would consider it. I took it to

[49:33] the club. I was president at the time.

[49:36] Um it's not very democratic but the vote

[49:39] was 2523 not to do it. But I said I

[49:41] didn't care. We're doing it anyway. Uh

[49:44] and I ended up chairing the committee

[49:46] for 21 years. Um which was which was

[49:50] joyful.

[49:51] So as mentioned at one point most of the

[49:54] organizing committee was made up of

[49:56] Rotarians who knew nothing about

[49:58] syllabuses or music or anything. We just

[50:01] we just knew we can organize things. And

[50:04] so now it's flipped again and um it's

[50:08] we're bringing on new members and it's

[50:10] changed now to majority community

[50:13] members. And uh our festival is based on

[50:16] the fundamental idea of providing all

[50:18] participants with the best possible

[50:20] support for their artistic development.

[50:22] And we're strongly committed to the

[50:25] philosophy that performance is a vital

[50:27] opportunity to learn and pursue

[50:29] excellence. In 2026, a total of 1,200

[50:34] people from kindergarten to seniors were

[50:37] registered. We had 120 volunteer spots

[50:41] that were filled by members of the

[50:43] community, committee members, and

[50:44] Rotarians. They are greeters, ushers,

[50:48] door, guardians, large school group

[50:51] marshers, which we used to call

[50:52] wranglers, but some people didn't like

[50:54] that. But if you've ever been around by

[50:56] >> the kids,

[50:58] » the kids,

[50:58] >> three or 400 kids descend on the uh

[51:01] » three or 400 kids descend on the uh

[51:01] Evergreen Theater, you understand. But

[51:03] marshalls apparently, it's a better

[51:06] term. Um they're also ticket takers and

[51:08] sellers for the grand concert. And our

[51:11] organizing committee has been extremely

[51:13] grateful for the generous support of

[51:15] Cassette Regional District for many

[51:17] years. So, um, we're here asking for for

[51:21] more money and I just want to explain

[51:23] some things why, like we are asking for

[51:26] $3,000 a year and um, for not this year

[51:30] because we have 750. So, it would only

[51:33] be only be 20250 2250. So we we had we

[51:39] for our registration system it's if you

[51:41] saw the syllabus that word that not

[51:44] everybody knows the meaning of but um

[51:46] there's a lot of different places where

[51:49] people enter enter the festival in in

[51:53] those six categories but within those

[51:55] categories there are multiple categories

[51:57] and registration needs to be taken and

[52:00] money taken in and and the whole

[52:03] schedule done and we contracted with a

[52:05] company named select Paris who was very

[52:08] good um for art for for several years

[52:12] and then out of the blue

[52:14] it it dissolved it went away. It had a

[52:18] lot of festivals connected to it and it

[52:20] couldn't continue and we tried to

[52:23] extract our data and our data wasn't

[52:25] available. So, so we had to we had to

[52:29] like rebuild everything from nothing.

[52:32] >> And um so that was that was quite the

[52:36] » And um so that was that was quite the

[52:36] chore.

[52:38] And other things have happened too. Um

[52:42] as in as in everything, our costs have

[52:44] increased over the past three years. And

[52:47] that whole Solaris thing really had an

[52:50] impact on us because like a lot of

[52:52] organizations we tried to keep um money

[52:55] aside so that if something happened we

[52:59] would still be able to um to continue

[53:02] but so there's increases in venues um

[53:06] adjudicators uh travel costs like

[53:10] there's ever there's been an increase.

[53:12] So um we and we have a we have a paid

[53:15] person. We're very lucky to have this

[53:17] paid person and we really the festival

[53:20] organizing committee runs from like

[53:23] September to March and then disappears

[53:25] and so we pay somebody on an hourly rate

[53:28] um to help and we're looking at becoming

[53:30] a registered society so that um there

[53:34] are more opportunities for us to bring

[53:36] money in because basically now it's the

[53:39] people that were up there support us and

[53:42] also the fees that people pay to enter

[53:45] it. So, uh the you have the full

[53:48] application for you to pursue and um

[53:52] once again we're very appreciative of

[53:54] the uh support that we've had and we

[53:56] want to tell you how happy we are um

[53:59] with that support and I'm happy to

[54:01] answer any questions. And there we go.

[54:03] Three seconds.

[54:05] >> Most excellent. Thank you very much with

[54:07] » Most excellent. Thank you very much with

[54:07] the video with the video and everything

[54:10] >> public speaking contest and you had to

[54:12] » public speaking contest and you had to

[54:12] be within five or

[54:15] >> right on the right on the bell. Uh so

[54:17] » right on the right on the bell. Uh so

[54:17] are there any questions for Miss Carlson

[54:20] from around the table?

[54:23] Uh I don't see any. I think it's a it's

[54:26] a seems like a really great uh

[54:29] organization and you know we've talked

[54:30] about it. We funded it over the years.

[54:32] So uh well thank you very much for

[54:34] coming before us and presenting that.

[54:35] We'll take it into consideration when uh

[54:38] when this comes up at our upcoming

[54:40] meetings.

[54:41] >> Okay. Thank you very much.

[54:42] » Okay. Thank you very much.

[54:42] >> I know it's um it's always difficult to

[54:44] » I know it's um it's always difficult to

[54:44] make decisions. So, it's appreciated.

[54:47] >> So, our item the representative or the

[54:49] » So, our item the representative or the

[54:49] delegate for item 3.6 uh isn't with us

[54:53] if I understand correctly. So, we'll

[54:55] move on to item 3.7 which is delegate

[54:58] delegation 3.7 which is Mac. Fraser,

[55:01] community coordinator. Everybody

[55:02] deserves a smile. And I believe Mr.

[55:05] Fraser is coming before us to the front.

[55:10] The floor is yours, Mr. Fraser. You have

[55:11] 10 minutes and then we may very well

[55:13] have some questions for you.

[55:15] >> Thank you very much, Chair Falls. Nice

[55:16] » Thank you very much, Chair Falls. Nice

[55:16] to see everyone today. Thank you for

[55:18] allowing this delegation. I've sat

[55:21] before you for a number of times. We've

[55:23] been doing this for seven years. Um, I

[55:26] think it's fair to say the board knows

[55:27] about everybody deserves a smile. But

[55:30] today, I've brought something special. A

[55:32] product.

[55:34] Drew Boyd has been involved with

[55:37] Everybody Deserves a Smile since she was

[55:39] in grade two and now she's in grade

[55:40] eight. And I'm going to give you just a

[55:43] bit of mechanics and then Drew

[55:44] [clears throat] is going to tell you

[55:45] what she's learned because you deserve

[55:47] to see what the outcome is of your

[55:49] financial investment.

[55:51] So start off with thanks for the seven

[55:54] years you've allowed us to operate and

[55:56] provided us financial assistance.

[55:59] The purpose of Everybody Deserves a

[56:01] Smile is a nonprofit organization and

[56:03] community program that through education

[56:06] instills a sense of empathy and

[56:08] understanding to break down the barriers

[56:10] faced by community members who are

[56:12] vulnerable and experiencing economic

[56:14] health and housing challenges.

[56:17] How we teach our children is how society

[56:19] will act.

[56:21] The educational component. The program

[56:24] achieves its objectives through an

[56:25] extensive educational component for

[56:27] elementary school students and an

[56:29] associated assembly and distribution of

[56:31] kindness bags with warm clothing,

[56:34] cookies, and a handwritten note for the

[56:36] students and the vulnerable community

[56:37] members. It's very easy to look at what

[56:40] we do and just see kindness bags come

[56:43] up. But the educational component is

[56:47] perhaps even more important because it

[56:50] will instill a lifelong objective in

[56:53] people.

[56:55] Um the kindest bags get into the

[56:58] mechanics. In 2025, 516 bags are

[57:01] distributed through the cadet region

[57:02] including Texa and the Kohama nation.

[57:07] So I come to you with good news and bad

[57:09] news. The bad news is we still need to

[57:11] produce the bags. There's still a large

[57:14] number of vulnerable people in the

[57:16] community who need our help. But the

[57:19] good news is it's not growing

[57:21] exponentially as it did initially. We

[57:23] did 100 bags the first year. We went

[57:26] through 200, 300, 400. We're looking to

[57:29] do 550 this year and that seems to be

[57:32] still filling the need. The cost

[57:35] [clears throat] per bag has changed. The

[57:37] cost now is approximately $37 and the

[57:40] total budget for 2025 with 19,775

[57:44] with $7,800 of commute contributions in

[57:48] kind from the community.

[57:50] The 2026 budget is 20,100

[57:53] and is enclosed in the application for

[57:55] your information. So, we're not seeing a

[57:57] big rise, but inflation is hitting

[58:00] everybody. In 2026,

[58:03] we are looking to produce 550 kindness

[58:06] bags,

[58:07] continue to develop a financially

[58:09] sustainable framework through increased

[58:11] community awareness of the project and

[58:13] associated donations, and thereby reduce

[58:16] dependency on charities or grants for

[58:18] augmenting the budget. I've sat before

[58:20] you previously and said we would like to

[58:23] have some money now, but we're working

[58:25] to asking you for less as the future

[58:27] goes on. And we're going to account for

[58:30] the impact of inflation.

[58:33] So this year, we're asking for financial

[58:35] assistance of $1,500, which is down from

[58:37] the $2,500 we asked for previously and

[58:41] gladly received from you. EDS Cassette

[58:44] has moved towards greater financial

[58:45] sustainability in the past two years by

[58:48] adding to its reserve funds to improve

[58:50] project cash flow. The EDAS Cassette

[58:53] reserve fund is currently at $16,000

[58:56] which is $4,000 more than 2025 and and

[59:00] has resulted in a lower request for

[59:02] funding.

[59:03] So, as I said, the need is still there.

[59:06] That's not good news, but we're getting

[59:09] greater contributions directly from the

[59:11] community.

[59:12] We had a low. You've heard Joyce talk

[59:14] about the impact of um pandemic. We had

[59:18] a low in giving through the pandemic. It

[59:21] appears to be close to back to previous

[59:23] levels which we're quite excited about.

[59:25] And the establishment of of a donated

[59:27] articles reserve has also been

[59:30] successful and be further developed in

[59:31] the next few years. So, thank you very

[59:34] much. Now, more excitingly, Drew is

[59:37] going to tell you what she's learned in

[59:39] being part of EAS.

[59:41] I've been with EDIs for eight years,

[59:46] seven years. Seven.

[59:48] >> Um, when it first came, my mom and my

[59:51] » Um, when it first came, my mom and my

[59:51] family helped out and they continue to.

[59:55] I've learned a lot through it. I feel

[59:58] like you can't get a better feeling than

[59:59] when you read one of the letters that we

[1:00:01] get saying that this is the only

[1:00:04] Christmas present some people get.

[1:00:06] Uh this year I've taken on a bigger role

[1:00:08] with it and I helped co-present the

[1:00:11] kickoff assembly for all the schools

[1:00:14] this year.

[1:00:16] Um today I was telling one of my friends

[1:00:18] that I was coming and she said I love

[1:00:20] doing that in elementary

[1:00:23] and she really wish she could still do

[1:00:25] it. So it really shows how much the

[1:00:29] people who are involved have felt and

[1:00:32] how much they loved it.

[1:00:37] Thank you very much, chair. Back to you.

[1:00:41] >> Well, thank you. Thank you both for your

[1:00:43] » Well, thank you. Thank you both for your

[1:00:43] presentations. That was uh very

[1:00:44] heartfelt to hear. I would like to ask

[1:00:47] if anyone around the table has any

[1:00:49] questions.

[1:00:50] >> Um

[1:00:52] » Um

[1:00:52] Director Lennox, go ahead.

[1:00:53] >> Thanks, J. Thank you sort of answered

[1:00:55] » Thanks, J. Thank you sort of answered

[1:00:55] it. I mean, I I was wondering like you

[1:00:57] you seem to be getting a fair commitment

[1:01:00] from probably retailers and others in

[1:01:03] the community, but $1,500 for cookies or

[1:01:06] is there any, you know, um is that been

[1:01:09] escalating or you said it's plateaued

[1:01:11] now and we're

[1:01:12] >> we just have to keep kind of at that or

[1:01:15] » we just have to keep kind of at that or

[1:01:15] everybody thinks everything's

[1:01:16] escalating, right?

[1:01:17] >> Yeah,

[1:01:18] » Yeah,

[1:01:18] >> we probably peaked in what we would ask

[1:01:19] » we probably peaked in what we would ask

[1:01:20] you for. I think in the last two years

[1:01:21] we asked for 2500. We're quite excited

[1:01:24] that we're getting more direct in in

[1:01:27] donations to reduce the cost.

[1:01:29] >> Okay.

[1:01:29] » Okay.

[1:01:29] >> So, there are still some expenses, but

[1:01:31] » So, there are still some expenses, but

[1:01:31] we have a wonderful support from the

[1:01:33] community. Um, EDAS defines what who

[1:01:37] needs to get bags through 11 existing

[1:01:39] support agencies, and we have about the

[1:01:42] same number of commercial and nonprofit

[1:01:46] supporters. Um, as an example, um, fire

[1:01:50] departments help us distribute

[1:01:53] um the bags to the support agencies. Um

[1:01:58] we start with uh phone calls out to 11

[1:02:01] support agencies in September and they

[1:02:03] give us numbers and we go from there and

[1:02:05] produce it. So it's very involved. It's

[1:02:08] wonderfully getting to be old hat.

[1:02:11] >> It's like oh it's that time of year. Of

[1:02:14] » It's like oh it's that time of year. Of

[1:02:14] course we're going to support.

[1:02:15] >> Yeah. We have excellent support and I

[1:02:17] » Yeah. We have excellent support and I

[1:02:17] have to without it the number one

[1:02:19] supporter it's not so obvious is school

[1:02:22] district 47. They cover all the staff

[1:02:26] expenses. The curriculum has been

[1:02:28] changed and continues to evolve and they

[1:02:31] do the educational component completely.

[1:02:33] So they are

[1:02:35] a huge partner to us.

[1:02:41] » Great. Uh well I I have one question. I

[1:02:43] don't see anyone else's hands up and and

[1:02:45] I'll try to avoid uh pontificating

[1:02:47] because that's not the point of this of

[1:02:49] course very I'll just pre preface it by

[1:02:51] saying you know I would it'd be nice to

[1:02:52] have some such an uh event organization

[1:02:55] on luski in areas that aren't served. So

[1:02:57] question I have is as I understand EDAS

[1:03:00] as a as a there's a cath edit of a a

[1:03:03] parent organization or I shouldn't say a

[1:03:05] bit of a there's a parent organization.

[1:03:07] What role does that parent organization

[1:03:09] have to help facilitate? I mean your

[1:03:11] your organization seems pretty self

[1:03:14] organized. So how much does that bigger

[1:03:16] organization uh EDAS of Canada does it

[1:03:20] help um you do what you do?

[1:03:23] >> Um we are largely independent. Um we're

[1:03:26] » Um we are largely independent. Um we're

[1:03:26] the the second biggest chapter the Komox

[1:03:29] Valley being the first. Um the the EDAS

[1:03:33] mothership as we call it in the Kmox

[1:03:35] Valley um distributes

[1:03:38] um Campbell River, Naimo, Red Deer, uh

[1:03:43] Vancouver, Lower East Side. Um so it it

[1:03:47] it provides support to us, but I think

[1:03:50] it's fair to say in seven years um we

[1:03:53] we've grown to the part that we're not

[1:03:55] really drawing very much from it. So,

[1:03:58] um, we have had discussions in the past.

[1:04:00] We need to advance them more about

[1:04:02] reaching down to, but as I just said,

[1:04:05] school district 47 is a big part of our

[1:04:08] project. We need to um advance it in a

[1:04:11] different school system on Mosquite,

[1:04:14] >> right? Yes, of course, it's Qualcomm.

[1:04:16] » right? Yes, of course, it's Qualcomm.

[1:04:16] Um, okay. Thank Thank you for that. And

[1:04:19] that's, you know, bigger discussions.

[1:04:21] And I was just told I missed Director

[1:04:23] Southcott had a question so I will pass

[1:04:25] it to him.

[1:04:26] >> Thank you chair. I'm really familiar

[1:04:29] » Thank you chair. I'm really familiar

[1:04:29] with the specifics of the program and I

[1:04:31] I remember initially you know having

[1:04:35] worked with in the past with

[1:04:37] disadvantaged populations and

[1:04:39] understanding how powerful kindness is.

[1:04:42] Um but then I didn't I didn't initially

[1:04:46] grasp how impactful it is for the

[1:04:49] providers and especially younger people

[1:04:53] but I really get that now and

[1:04:57] um it's been important to me. I've

[1:04:59] worked with youths for a long long time

[1:05:02] in various venues. I'm just wondering if

[1:05:05] uh is there any analogous or anything

[1:05:09] that carries on through Brooks and like

[1:05:11] older age groups

[1:05:14] that is has anything like connected? I

[1:05:16] know EDAS is very specific, but is there

[1:05:19] anything happening at Brooks that sort

[1:05:21] of might be?

[1:05:22] >> Um in Brooks we have the Interact Club.

[1:05:25] » Um in Brooks we have the Interact Club.

[1:05:25] They volunteer and they help with

[1:05:26] bagging day.

[1:05:27] >> Oh, great.

[1:05:28] » Oh, great.

[1:05:28] >> And then also the culinary program at

[1:05:30] » And then also the culinary program at

[1:05:30] Brooks helps make the cookies. They make

[1:05:33] all the cookies.

[1:05:34] >> It's a very big project. They have the

[1:05:37] » It's a very big project. They have the

[1:05:37] entire kitchen filled with cookies by

[1:05:38] the end of it.

[1:05:39] >> A good day to be around.

[1:05:43] » It's no small task. The culinary arts

[1:05:45] department makes 2,000 cookies. Small

[1:05:47] cookie. We have many people who decorate

[1:05:50] them and I can tell you director Brander

[1:05:52] decorates a good cookie.

[1:05:57] » Thank you.

[1:05:58] >> Well, thank you. Thank you very much. Is

[1:05:59] » Well, thank you. Thank you very much. Is

[1:06:00] there any other question? I don't see

[1:06:02] any hands up. So, thank you for the

[1:06:05] presentation, both of you, and uh we

[1:06:07] look forward to discussing

[1:06:10] >> your request.

[1:06:11] » your request.

[1:06:11] >> Okay. Our agenda uh says that we had a

[1:06:14] » Okay. Our agenda uh says that we had a

[1:06:14] scheduled break, but I'm going to

[1:06:16] suggest that we carry on. We've had a

[1:06:18] cancelled delegation. We carry on and

[1:06:20] I've been told the food that I can't

[1:06:22] participate in isn't there yet. So, um,

[1:06:25] we'll carry on probably for another half

[1:06:27] an hour unless someone is, uh, really

[1:06:30] urgently needing a break. So, uh, for

[1:06:32] time sensitivity. Okay.

[1:06:35] >> Oh,

[1:06:36] » Oh,

[1:06:36] >> it's okay.

[1:06:39] » it's okay.

[1:06:39] >> Okay. So, we just had a uh, a quick uh,

[1:06:42] » Okay. So, we just had a uh, a quick uh,

[1:06:42] >> okay,

[1:06:43] » okay,

[1:06:43] >> break.

[1:06:43] » break.

[1:06:43] >> She's in the room.

[1:06:44] » She's in the room.

[1:06:44] >> She's still

[1:06:45] » She's still

[1:06:45] >> Oh, she's in the room. Okay. So, right.

[1:06:46] » Oh, she's in the room. Okay. So, right.

[1:06:46] So, we'll go on to the number uh,

[1:06:48] delegate 3.8 eight, Nikki Listister,

[1:06:51] president of the Pow River Therapeutic

[1:06:52] Writing Association. Um, Miss Listister,

[1:06:56] the floor is yours uh for presentation.

[1:06:58] 10 minutes and we'll then have some

[1:07:00] questions.

[1:07:05] » I was just told I'd come here maybe

[1:07:07] answer some questions. A little more

[1:07:10] formal than what I thought I was

[1:07:12] getting.

[1:07:13] >> You don't There's no requirement for a

[1:07:14] » You don't There's no requirement for a

[1:07:14] formal presentation. You don't even have

[1:07:16] to say anything. But uh if you want to

[1:07:18] tell [laughter] us something, you got 10

[1:07:19] minute up to up to 10 minutes and you

[1:07:21] know you

[1:07:22] >> tell us whatever you feel we need to

[1:07:23] » tell us whatever you feel we need to

[1:07:23] know.

[1:07:24] >> Yeah. So we're celebrating 35 years in

[1:07:26] » Yeah. So we're celebrating 35 years in

[1:07:26] the community this year. Um the

[1:07:29] organization started as a

[1:07:30] physiootherapist talking with a horse

[1:07:32] versus sitting around a table having tea

[1:07:34] say we need to get horses and people

[1:07:36] together and make this happen. And the

[1:07:38] community the horse community pulled

[1:07:40] together and brought their horses up the

[1:07:42] road and say here use my horse for a

[1:07:43] lesson. And and that's kind of how it

[1:07:45] started. Um, now we have we're at the

[1:07:49] Radisa Exhibition Park. We have um a

[1:07:52] barn. We have paddics. We have a track

[1:07:55] system. If you want to get into horses

[1:07:57] knowing what's happening, we've created

[1:07:58] a natural movement for them. Um, we have

[1:08:02] our big indoor arena and we are

[1:08:03] servicing up to 70 students a year, but

[1:08:07] everyone wants to touch a horse and

[1:08:09] everyone wants to spend time with

[1:08:10] horses. So, we need to expand.

[1:08:14] Um,

[1:08:16] doesn't matter if you go on Facebook,

[1:08:18] someone's asking, "Where are the horse

[1:08:19] lessons? Where can my kid touch a horse?

[1:08:20] Where can my three-year-old touch a

[1:08:22] horse?" They need to do that. And as

[1:08:25] people that serve the community, people

[1:08:27] that are horse people, we understand

[1:08:28] that impact that horses have on um our

[1:08:32] students and we want to just grow and

[1:08:34] expand. So, we have done a lot of work.

[1:08:37] We've been in the past really struggle

[1:08:39] to find qualified instructors. They have

[1:08:41] to be what's called Cantra certified.

[1:08:44] So, we this year have hired three

[1:08:45] instructors that we've been working

[1:08:47] really hard at getting certified and

[1:08:49] they're going for testing at the end of

[1:08:50] June. So, that moves us from one

[1:08:52] instructor to four, which means we can

[1:08:55] expand our program. Now, our main

[1:08:57] instructor is going maternity leave, but

[1:08:59] that's okay because she'll be back. Um,

[1:09:02] we're unique that we actually have an

[1:09:04] in-house trainer as well.

[1:09:06] um this work is hard on our horses. Um

[1:09:10] more traditionally it was

[1:09:12] physiootherapy, but now we're seeing a

[1:09:14] lot of um students with ADHD and autism

[1:09:17] that need the emotional regulation that

[1:09:18] the horse gives them. Horses will match

[1:09:21] your heartbeat. So if you get on a horse

[1:09:23] and you're really excitable and you

[1:09:27] can't settle, the horse will bring you

[1:09:28] down. And that's what we're seeing

[1:09:31] happening all the time. But that's hard

[1:09:32] on the horse. I've watched horses back

[1:09:34] out of the arena and say, "No, thank

[1:09:36] you. Not today. That's too much for me."

[1:09:39] So, we respect that in the horse, but we

[1:09:42] also do things on their off time to give

[1:09:44] them the opportunity to we call it

[1:09:46] filling their bucket. So, they can go in

[1:09:48] and do the class and not be depleted.

[1:09:50] So, in turn, we have a herd that's

[1:09:52] really happy and healthy. Our vet bills

[1:09:54] are down. Um, our fer bills are down.

[1:09:56] They just they're able to do a little

[1:09:58] bit more. They only work two classes a

[1:10:00] day because that's all that they can

[1:10:02] handle. Having that horse trainer fill

[1:10:05] their buckets back up and do the right

[1:10:06] things with them and train our trainers

[1:10:08] or sorry, our volunteer horse handlers

[1:10:11] to speak the same language with the

[1:10:13] horse all the time. This always means

[1:10:14] go. This always means stop has also

[1:10:16] helped them be healthier and in turn

[1:10:18] they're safer for our students.

[1:10:21] So we have a basic program that um what

[1:10:25] you would think of therapeutic riding

[1:10:27] the kids come or the adults come and

[1:10:29] they get on they do some stretching they

[1:10:32] u follow some direction moving their

[1:10:34] body they go out for a trail ride stuff

[1:10:36] like that but we've also extended into

[1:10:38] this year having vaulting program so we

[1:10:41] bought this big beautiful horse from

[1:10:43] from Alberta for our program because um

[1:10:46] larger people need a bigger horse and he

[1:10:49] was expensive And we were very excited

[1:10:51] to have him. He hates the program.

[1:10:55] >> So to respect the horse, what can we do

[1:10:57] » So to respect the horse, what can we do

[1:10:57] with him? We're going to lose money. We

[1:10:59] can't do that. And he's a beautiful

[1:11:01] horse. So we created a vaulting program.

[1:11:03] So our horse trainer and instructor got

[1:11:05] certified as vaultting instructors. This

[1:11:08] horse loves vaultting. So he he gets

[1:11:11] ledged around in a circle and the kids

[1:11:13] get put up. They basically do gymnastics

[1:11:15] on the horse. It is

[1:11:18] very good for their bodies. Um, if

[1:11:21] you've ever heard of hypotherapy, if

[1:11:22] physiootherapists and stuff do that,

[1:11:24] hypo they have to be certified to do

[1:11:25] that. We can't do that. But the moves

[1:11:27] are all very similar. And again, the

[1:11:29] kids get all this confidence, body

[1:11:32] movement, they get to um express

[1:11:34] themselves and they work in as a team.

[1:11:36] So, it's an inclusive team and we have

[1:11:38] six vultures this year and we're looking

[1:11:40] to expand to a second day next year and

[1:11:43] that horse is loving it. So, we found

[1:11:44] the horse a good job and we put six more

[1:11:46] kids together that we could pull off a

[1:11:48] weight list. Um, all of our students

[1:11:51] currently have to be um referred to us

[1:11:53] through a doctor. That's our mandate

[1:11:56] with our program. So, that's how that

[1:11:58] works. We are also looking at expanding

[1:12:01] um what's called EAL, so equin assisted

[1:12:04] learning. So, it's um personal

[1:12:05] development coaching leadership programs

[1:12:07] using the horse. And again, some of that

[1:12:10] can be done as a group and some of that

[1:12:12] can be done individual. A lot of

[1:12:14] facilities work with PE first

[1:12:16] responders, anyone suffering with PTSD,

[1:12:20] um

[1:12:22] people going through addiction, stuff

[1:12:24] like that. So, that's another area that

[1:12:26] we're looking to expand upon. Um and it

[1:12:29] gets more people touching horses.

[1:12:32] Yeah. So, I don't know what else to tell

[1:12:35] you. You have any question? I could go

[1:12:38] forever, but

[1:12:40] it's a passion for sure.

[1:12:43] Thank you very much. That was uh was

[1:12:45] very interesting information. Um is

[1:12:48] there anyone who has questions? Director

[1:12:49] Lennox, go ahead.

[1:12:51] >> Sure. Thanks, Nikki um for your

[1:12:53] » Sure. Thanks, Nikki um for your

[1:12:53] presentation. I have a lot of sweat up

[1:12:55] there at the grounds by my past. Uh

[1:12:58] >> he looks close.

[1:12:59] » he looks close.

[1:12:59] >> Yeah. So, uh I'm just looking. So, good

[1:13:02] » Yeah. So, uh I'm just looking. So, good

[1:13:02] rundown here. It's really part of your

[1:13:04] overall program to try to achieve the

[1:13:06] goal. Um and you got a whole bunch of

[1:13:08] ambitious goals.

[1:13:09] >> Yeah. and a total budget of just under

[1:13:13] » Yeah. and a total budget of just under

[1:13:13] 400,000, right? So, it's quite an

[1:13:15] operation now. So, and you're asking for

[1:13:18] 17, I think. So, I just wanted to be

[1:13:21] clear about that. And looks like you're

[1:13:22] getting a lot of work done with that

[1:13:24] money. So,

[1:13:26] >> want to make sure.

[1:13:26] » want to make sure.

[1:13:26] >> Yeah, we're a nonprofit plus a charity.

[1:13:29] » Yeah, we're a nonprofit plus a charity.

[1:13:29] So, there are certain things we can do

[1:13:31] things that can't do, but I think we're

[1:13:32] seeing in the community that local

[1:13:35] donations are down. Um, I know everyone

[1:13:38] saved the kings as my personal business,

[1:13:41] Saved the Kings. That was a a goal in

[1:13:43] the community to do that. And this

[1:13:45] spring we had um our family day on May

[1:13:47] 23rd and we do t-shirts for all our

[1:13:49] riders. We put salt on the back and a

[1:13:52] lot of people were tapped out this year.

[1:13:54] We really felt that. And then a lot of

[1:13:56] our out of town um foundations are now

[1:14:00] um they have so many requests that

[1:14:01] they're only helping you every other

[1:14:03] year. So we're seeing that happening as

[1:14:05] well. and we're trying to keep it all

[1:14:07] affordable, right? We don't want to

[1:14:10] price people out of the service that

[1:14:12] they need. Autism funding has changed. I

[1:14:14] think we're going to be okay because our

[1:14:16] um coaches are certified, so they'll

[1:14:19] still be able to access the autism

[1:14:21] funding to be able to come to our

[1:14:23] facility, but it's Yeah, it's expensive.

[1:14:26] I We've had horses 10 years at Tanahe

[1:14:28] was 425. Now it's a thousand. Even

[1:14:31] buying local, it's still

[1:14:33] >> Glad I'm not buying it now. I know

[1:14:35] » Glad I'm not buying it now. I know

[1:14:35] three. I have seven.

[1:14:38] >> It's expensive. Um, we are very

[1:14:41] » It's expensive. Um, we are very

[1:14:41] fortunate in our community. We only own

[1:14:42] three horses at therapeutic running. We

[1:14:45] have eight. So, we have free leases. We

[1:14:47] take advantage of that. There could be a

[1:14:49] horse. There's a beautiful horse. She's

[1:14:50] one of the best horses we have. She was

[1:14:52] living in Wildwood, not doing a lot

[1:14:54] because they're busy doing other things.

[1:14:56] So, she comes and lives with us. Their

[1:14:58] kids come and visit their horse or have

[1:15:00] a lesson and she stays with us. Now, she

[1:15:02] has a job. So she has purpose and she

[1:15:05] she's we have most of our horses. That's

[1:15:07] how we have them now. We used to own

[1:15:09] them all. It doesn't make sense because

[1:15:11] when they get tired of doing their job,

[1:15:13] we have to sell them or move them along.

[1:15:15] And this way we can just give them back

[1:15:17] to their family and maybe they'll come

[1:15:19] back in a couple years if they're

[1:15:21] refreshed. I don't know. But I think the

[1:15:23] training we're doing is helping them as

[1:15:24] well so they don't get burnt out the job

[1:15:27] that they do. And we are doing summer

[1:15:30] camps. This will be our third year doing

[1:15:32] summer camps. So, we're reaching more

[1:15:34] kids that way. Eight kids a week for six

[1:15:36] weeks this year.

[1:15:37] >> Sure. It's full.

[1:15:39] » Sure. It's full.

[1:15:39] >> Well, registration started today.

[1:15:41] » Well, registration started today.

[1:15:41] There's some people in the room whose

[1:15:42] grandson is on the list. I'm hoping I'm

[1:15:46] hoping it's full. It should be full.

[1:15:49] Usually our wait list is pretty long.

[1:15:52] Yeah.

[1:15:54] >> Yeah. Director South cut.

[1:15:56] » Yeah. Director South cut.

[1:15:56] >> Thank you. very exciting for me to hear

[1:15:58] » Thank you. very exciting for me to hear

[1:15:58] that you're thinking of moving into

[1:16:00] trauma

[1:16:02] therapeutic work. Um I heard a statistic

[1:16:06] today that 25% of Canadians have some

[1:16:09] form of what we call PTSD, but I prefer

[1:16:13] to call stress related illness um

[1:16:16] effects

[1:16:17] because it's a have been very aware over

[1:16:19] years of the

[1:16:23] greatly increasing need in our society.

[1:16:26] Uh

[1:16:28] so I'm just wondering if you speak just

[1:16:30] a little more on that like when is this

[1:16:32] expected and might there be even the

[1:16:36] possibility of relationships with other

[1:16:38] um providing or organizations that

[1:16:40] provide like referrals? One thing I'm

[1:16:42] aware of is that different people

[1:16:43] require different or or benefit from

[1:16:45] different approaches

[1:16:47] >> and it's really a vast range.

[1:16:48] » and it's really a vast range.

[1:16:48] >> Yeah. So I actually went away in

[1:16:50] » Yeah. So I actually went away in

[1:16:50] February for a week and did my EAL

[1:16:52] training. I'm a certified EL personal um

[1:16:55] development coach. Um

[1:16:59] I made a promise to myself I wouldn't do

[1:17:01] anything new for 6 months. People in the

[1:17:03] room that might know me know I run a

[1:17:04] business in town. It takes a lot of my

[1:17:06] work. Therapeutic writing is a passion

[1:17:07] for me. It takes a lot of work. Um I

[1:17:10] told my husband I won't do anything new.

[1:17:12] This course was literally on the island

[1:17:15] and I had five people send it to me and

[1:17:16] I'm like but I said I wouldn't do

[1:17:17] anything new. I'll go in November. And

[1:17:19] my husband said you just need to go. was

[1:17:22] at a facility that I knew and I was

[1:17:23] comfortable with and I went and thank

[1:17:26] goodness I went changed my life really

[1:17:29] and the direction of where I'm going in

[1:17:30] my life by going through that. Um I have

[1:17:33] a lot of empathy for people. I think I

[1:17:35] consider myself a people person and the

[1:17:37] ability to listen and understand and

[1:17:40] [snorts] I was paired with um a young

[1:17:42] girl who had lost her husband very

[1:17:44] tragically. She's never spoken to anyone

[1:17:47] really about it. Well, I'm gonna lose

[1:17:48] time and tell you the story. Anyways,

[1:17:52] I'll sneak in that. Yes, the we're going

[1:17:54] to I'm going to start in the fall. I'm

[1:17:56] going to offer to some of our kids a

[1:17:58] leadership program proono just to get my

[1:18:02] feet wet and then we're going to reach

[1:18:03] out. The big thing that I want to do,

[1:18:07] I was going to do it at home on my own,

[1:18:09] but let's do it there. We have the We

[1:18:12] have the horses that are ready to go and

[1:18:14] we have the connections.

[1:18:17] Yeah. And after 35 years, we have the

[1:18:19] reputation. So I can do that. So yeah,

[1:18:21] it's a huge part of my next part chapter

[1:18:25] of my life.

[1:18:26] >> No,

[1:18:26] » No,

[1:18:26] >> I didn't pass the test that

[1:18:30] » I didn't pass the test that

[1:18:30] >> pass. Sorry, [laughter]

[1:18:32] » pass. Sorry, [laughter]

[1:18:32] >> pretty close. No, no, don't don't don't

[1:18:34] » pretty close. No, no, don't don't don't

[1:18:34] worry at all. Thank you for presenting

[1:18:36] to us. That was very good. And uh we

[1:18:38] thank you for coming before the board

[1:18:40] here.

[1:18:42] >> Okay. Uh on to our next one. I don't

[1:18:44] » Okay. Uh on to our next one. I don't

[1:18:44] believe the food's arrived, so we'll

[1:18:45] carry on. We have um delegate 3.9.

[1:18:49] That's Kathy Brown, president of the

[1:18:51] Texa Island Nonprofit Senior Housing

[1:18:53] Society or affectionately known as

[1:18:55] Tinches. Uh I

[1:18:58] is Miss Brown attending virtually, I

[1:19:00] believe.

[1:19:01] >> I am.

[1:19:02] » I am.

[1:19:02] >> Yes. Okay. Uh so the floor is yours or

[1:19:04] » Yes. Okay. Uh so the floor is yours or

[1:19:04] the screen is yours for for 10 minutes

[1:19:06] and then uh we may have some questions

[1:19:08] for you. Um Miss Brown, go ahead.

[1:19:10] >> Thank you kindly. Um I'm uh going to be

[1:19:14] » Thank you kindly. Um I'm uh going to be

[1:19:14] invisible today just because of a little

[1:19:17] computer slowdown here and I have uh

[1:19:20] sadly no awesome presentation visually.

[1:19:23] So what I'll do is I'll just uh thank

[1:19:25] everybody today um other delegates and

[1:19:29] the board for listening. Um, I'm happy

[1:19:32] to be able to share that the latest

[1:19:34] progress on the Texas Island Nonprofit

[1:19:36] Seniors Housing Society project. Uh, it

[1:19:39] began as community vision uh back in

[1:19:42] 2019. It's rapidly transforming into a

[1:19:46] reality. We have successfully navigated

[1:19:49] several major uh regulatory milestones.

[1:19:52] I'm here to present another step in our

[1:19:54] road map for making a 3.2 hectare parcel

[1:19:58] shovel ready for affordable seniors

[1:20:00] housing.

[1:20:01] uh with the help of uh the QRD's

[1:20:04] dedicated staff um both the planning

[1:20:07] department and the the staff within

[1:20:10] finance and other office assistants. Um

[1:20:14] we have overcome some significant

[1:20:17] hurdles. The first was excluding the

[1:20:19] land of the agricultural land reserve

[1:20:22] from the agricultural land reserve and

[1:20:24] very recently the fence and buffer plan

[1:20:27] that was compiled by tinches and was

[1:20:29] forwarded to the QRD planning department

[1:20:32] for their review and subsequently having

[1:20:34] it submitted to the agricultural land

[1:20:36] commission. Um, we've been informed that

[1:20:39] the conditions of the preliminary layout

[1:20:43] review have been satisfied after

[1:20:45] Vancouver Coastal Health has made a

[1:20:48] critical concession for us. Their

[1:20:50] concern in subdivision, as you're

[1:20:52] probably well aware, is to ensure that

[1:20:54] the wastewater is disposed of safely and

[1:20:57] with larger developments, it becomes an

[1:20:59] even more critical step for the

[1:21:01] long-term viability of projects. Um

[1:21:04] they've agreed to a blanket covenant

[1:21:06] which is allowing us to defer uh

[1:21:09] detailed wastewater engineering the

[1:21:11] schematics until the building stage. It

[1:21:14] means that we can establish the land

[1:21:16] title and transfer the parcel sooner

[1:21:20] than waiting on expensive premature

[1:21:22] infrastructure designs.

[1:21:25] Our timeline for the 2026 project is

[1:21:28] strategic. Um, Sulkerk remains the owner

[1:21:31] until the title transfer, but they are

[1:21:33] willing to work with us um before it's

[1:21:36] transferred. Um, we're moving into phase

[1:21:39] two civil engineering design,

[1:21:41] establishing the final schematics of the

[1:21:44] footprint for the housing project. Uh,

[1:21:46] that is this spring and early summer. Uh

[1:21:49] this summer, roughly August, we have the

[1:21:52] technical site evaluations that will

[1:21:54] flag the footprint following immediately

[1:21:57] by logging. Uh in the fall, which will

[1:22:00] be September, November, we will move

[1:22:02] into site grubbing, fence erection, and

[1:22:06] a comprehensive fire evaluation to

[1:22:08] guarantee long-term wildfire resilience.

[1:22:12] By December, we anticipate the final

[1:22:14] subdivision completion and the official

[1:22:16] title transfer. Finally,

[1:22:20] um, in the spring of 2027, we will

[1:22:24] strategically plant the buffer for the

[1:22:26] fence with appropriate fires smart and

[1:22:28] native plants where it's lacking

[1:22:29] adequate coverage. Our total budget

[1:22:33] projected sits at $252,552.

[1:22:38] We want to highlight the incredible

[1:22:39] generosity of our partner Selkerk

[1:22:42] Mountain Forest Limited who is providing

[1:22:44] a massive incind inkind land donation of

[1:22:48] $134,000

[1:22:50] which represents 80% of the the land

[1:22:53] value as well as this summer uh $5,000

[1:22:57] in logging services.

[1:22:59] Um the $25,000 QRD social planning grant

[1:23:03] we're seeking is highly targeted. Um,

[1:23:06] it'll directly fund the critical

[1:23:08] technical work that matching funds won't

[1:23:10] cover. Um, $10,000 to further the civil

[1:23:14] engineering phase 2 that will take into

[1:23:16] account the possibility for more units

[1:23:18] on the site plan in the future. $5,000

[1:23:21] for site grubbing and the remainder

[1:23:23] across legal fees, professional tree

[1:23:25] surveys, fire smart assessments, and

[1:23:28] administration. Uh, every dollar is

[1:23:30] being leveraged to maximize the asset

[1:23:33] value. Ultimately uh this phase derisks

[1:23:37] the site making us highly attractive to

[1:23:39] major provincial and federal capital

[1:23:42] partners when they come back and uh

[1:23:46] hopefully this uh this whole project

[1:23:49] will move smoothly forward in the coming

[1:23:51] years. Thank you and I welcome any

[1:23:54] questions and appreciate your listening.

[1:23:57] >> Thank you Miss Brown. That was uh good

[1:23:59] » Thank you Miss Brown. That was uh good

[1:23:59] to hear from you. I see director

[1:24:01] McCormack has your hand up.

[1:24:03] >> Yes. Thank you, chair. Um, Miss Brown,

[1:24:07] » Yes. Thank you, chair. Um, Miss Brown,

[1:24:07] kudos to you and your group for taking

[1:24:09] this from nowhere um to the very very

[1:24:13] long distance that you've come. So, I'm

[1:24:15] I'm really I'm just so amazed at the

[1:24:18] wonderful work that you've done

[1:24:20] >> so far and you're just really getting

[1:24:22] » so far and you're just really getting

[1:24:22] started. So my question is about the

[1:24:24] plan um for the future and I think you

[1:24:27] touched on this um that the initial plan

[1:24:30] is for 40 units um but there is an

[1:24:34] opportunity for growth down the road.

[1:24:36] How would that work?

[1:24:37] >> Actually our original hope of having 40

[1:24:40] » Actually our original hope of having 40

[1:24:40] units was um pulled back by the BC

[1:24:44] housing when we were approaching them

[1:24:46] for funding initially. Um, we were told

[1:24:49] flat out that no one was going to fund

[1:24:51] us for 40 units. So, they told us to

[1:24:54] rescale 20 units and that this would be

[1:24:58] something that they would most likely

[1:25:00] look a little more um favorable upon.

[1:25:03] Um, the expansion in the future would

[1:25:07] bring it up to the 40 units. Um, and

[1:25:10] it's been a benefit to actually draw

[1:25:11] back to 20 because it's meant that we

[1:25:14] can have um a regular septic field for

[1:25:17] 20 units and then add in a second septic

[1:25:21] field for another 20 units rather than

[1:25:23] having to have a wastewater treatment

[1:25:25] plant um which would carry the whole 40

[1:25:28] units.

[1:25:30] >> That makes sense. No, thank you. Thank

[1:25:33] » That makes sense. No, thank you. Thank

[1:25:33] you.

[1:25:34] >> Thank you very much. Is there any other

[1:25:36] » Thank you very much. Is there any other

[1:25:36] questions from the committee? I don't

[1:25:38] see any. Well, thank you very much, Miss

[1:25:40] Brown, for the presentation. We'll be uh

[1:25:43] discussing the the request at a future

[1:25:46] meeting.

[1:25:47] >> Thank you for your consideration.

[1:25:50] » Thank you for your consideration.

[1:25:50] >> Okay. So, I unless I don't see that the

[1:25:54] » Okay. So, I unless I don't see that the

[1:25:54] our food's arrived, so I haven't got a

[1:25:55] note yet. So, we'll go on to our uh

[1:25:58] >> seated on food.

[1:26:00] » seated on food.

[1:26:00] [laughter]

[1:26:02] >> Not that it benefits me whatsoever. Um,

[1:26:04] » Not that it benefits me whatsoever. Um,

[1:26:04] our our 10th delegation, well, our ninth

[1:26:06] delegation, 3.10, 3.10, Joan Miller,

[1:26:10] executive director, Island North Film

[1:26:12] Commission. U go ahead, Miss Miller. You

[1:26:16] have 10 minutes and then we'll have some

[1:26:17] questions.

[1:26:18] >> Great. Thanks. Well, I hope the food

[1:26:19] » Great. Thanks. Well, I hope the food

[1:26:19] doesn't come while I'm doing my

[1:26:21] presentation.

[1:26:22] >> Well, we we'll take a break in between

[1:26:24] » Well, we we'll take a break in between

[1:26:24] presentations, so no worries at all.

[1:26:26] >> I know what it's like. Food comes first.

[1:26:28] » I know what it's like. Food comes first.

[1:26:28] Um, so thank you very much. I'd like to

[1:26:30] thank you, Chair Fall, and your

[1:26:31] committee, um, and all your great staff.

[1:26:33] The staff has been awesome to work with.

[1:26:35] They always have been and they continue

[1:26:36] to be that way. I also want to recognize

[1:26:38] all these great delegates. I've always

[1:26:41] listening to them and so I don't know

[1:26:43] gobsmacked by the great work they do. I

[1:26:45] have six regional districts I have to do

[1:26:46] this with and I'm always like wow. I

[1:26:49] walk away and think we have the greatest

[1:26:51] communities that we live in. Um I want

[1:26:53] to spend my time and I want to ask if I

[1:26:55] could have a little 31 second um

[1:26:58] extension. We have a video that we

[1:27:01] created for the province last year that

[1:27:03] for uh profiling the work that we did

[1:27:06] and a lot of it was in the cath area. So

[1:27:08] if you have consideration of less

[1:27:10] questions and listen to our video I

[1:27:12] think a lot of them will be answered. So

[1:27:14] please staff if you go ahead with the

[1:27:15] video I'd appreciate it.

[1:27:26] Rolling. rolling. [music]

[1:27:37] » In 2022, the Island North Film

[1:27:39] Commission received a $520,000

[1:27:42] economic diversification grant. The

[1:27:44] purpose of the grant was to help grow

[1:27:46] BC's motion picture industry within the

[1:27:48] region. The investment is already paying

[1:27:50] off.

[1:27:51] >> We're very proud of the successes of the

[1:27:53] » We're very proud of the successes of the

[1:27:53] funding that we've had. We've been able

[1:27:54] to show real um impact and and real

[1:27:58] effect coming from government funding.

[1:28:01] >> Oh, this looks great.

[1:28:03] » Oh, this looks great.

[1:28:03] >> The commission's mandate is to assist

[1:28:05] » The commission's mandate is to assist

[1:28:05] producers in finding locations, offer

[1:28:07] local crews, and help with the

[1:28:09] appropriate permissions and permits. One

[1:28:11] recent success story is Eden Express, a

[1:28:14] domestic production which spent 6 weeks

[1:28:16] filming in the Pow River area. We had

[1:28:18] cast a pretty wide net on where we are

[1:28:21] looking for a location and then we we

[1:28:23] did eventually end up here in Powell

[1:28:24] River and and the the Vancouver Island

[1:28:27] North Film Commission were quite

[1:28:28] instrumental in helping us find some

[1:28:30] locations here.

[1:28:31] >> Productions like this one have a large

[1:28:33] » Productions like this one have a large

[1:28:33] impact on local economies.

[1:28:35] >> When a production comes to town and we

[1:28:36] » When a production comes to town and we

[1:28:36] see them begin to fill hotels, they go

[1:28:39] out for dinner. They're they're using

[1:28:41] restaurants. They're going out and using

[1:28:43] coffee shops after. They'll rent all the

[1:28:45] different things they require. it is a

[1:28:47] direct economic impact to that

[1:28:48] community. We try to hire as many locals

[1:28:51] as we can definitely in you know

[1:28:53] production assistance and obviously in

[1:28:54] background performers. We even have some

[1:28:56] like actors that we were able to hire

[1:28:58] locally um construction scenic drivers

[1:29:02] security. So yeah, we've been able to

[1:29:04] hire a lot of folks locally which is

[1:29:06] really amazing.

[1:29:06] >> But the impacts are also cultural.

[1:29:09] » But the impacts are also cultural.

[1:29:09] >> There's nothing like seeing your town,

[1:29:11] » There's nothing like seeing your town,

[1:29:11] seeing your street on on the big screen.

[1:29:13] It it it's just it's a source of pride

[1:29:16] and I think we have wonderful

[1:29:17] communities. We have caring people. If I

[1:29:19] was a filmmaker, I'd want to film here.

[1:29:21] >> The community has completely embraced

[1:29:22] » The community has completely embraced

[1:29:22] us, too. Um everywhere we go, we're

[1:29:24] always like, "Do you need more BG or are

[1:29:26] you the film people?" And I saw your

[1:29:27] trucks and I saw your signs and yeah,

[1:29:29] the community seems to have really

[1:29:30] embraced us. So, we're very fortunate to

[1:29:32] be here.

[1:29:33] >> The film commission also received

[1:29:34] » The film commission also received

[1:29:34] funding through Island Coastal Economic

[1:29:37] Trust. The trust's investment readiness

[1:29:39] program allowed Infilm to greatly expand

[1:29:41] an important resource within their

[1:29:43] operation, their library of available

[1:29:45] film locations.

[1:29:46] >> To date, we have about 4,000 files

[1:29:48] » To date, we have about 4,000 files

[1:29:48] rising from the original 2,000 we had.

[1:29:50] Uh, a lot of those 4,000 were also

[1:29:52] updates of older files. We have

[1:29:54] productions that are coming because of

[1:29:56] our scouting, because of our location

[1:29:57] kits.

[1:29:58] >> 12 photographers in six regional

[1:30:00] » 12 photographers in six regional

[1:30:00] districts went far and wide to expand

[1:30:02] the database.

[1:30:03] >> It was awesome. Yeah, it was one of the

[1:30:05] » It was awesome. Yeah, it was one of the

[1:30:05] best jobs I've ever had. Um,

[1:30:09] at first they said, "Oh, can you do

[1:30:11] about 150 locations?" And I thought, "Oh

[1:30:13] my gosh, how am I going to do 150

[1:30:16] locations?" Location scouting on

[1:30:18] Vancouver Island is ideal. We have

[1:30:22] majestic mountain ranges, trails, old

[1:30:25] growth forests. We have derelict old

[1:30:28] buildings, warehouses. We have vintage

[1:30:32] beautiful homes. We have it all on

[1:30:35] Vancouver Island. It really is an

[1:30:37] idealic spot to film at.

[1:30:38] >> You know, the Vancouver Island North

[1:30:39] » You know, the Vancouver Island North

[1:30:40] Film Commission was really supportive of

[1:30:41] us, you know, helping us find location

[1:30:43] scouts, you know, taking us to some

[1:30:45] locations, you know, providing a

[1:30:47] locations package to us, which is, I

[1:30:49] mean, it it's it's a huge cost savings

[1:30:51] for us.

[1:30:58] [music]

[1:30:59] >> Equally as important was capturing the

[1:31:01] » Equally as important was capturing the

[1:31:01] island's diverse scenery from high

[1:31:02] above.

[1:31:04] The RedUp funding also allowed for the

[1:31:06] purchase of a drone as well as hiring

[1:31:08] drone operators to inventory more than

[1:31:10] 100 locations from the air. They're game

[1:31:12] changers. We've heard from Creative DC,

[1:31:14] the provincial film commission, how much

[1:31:17] they love the files and how they're

[1:31:19] getting getting into it now. Film is a

[1:31:21] technology- based industry and like most

[1:31:23] technology- based industries, there are

[1:31:25] slow advances and big hops. The drone

[1:31:27] videos will be a big hop and they really

[1:31:29] allow producers to identify what they're

[1:31:32] shooting and as drone use becomes more

[1:31:34] and more prevalent in film making it

[1:31:36] just [music] makes sense to augment the

[1:31:38] scouting with it.

[1:31:39] >> Showcasing Port Alurnie's MLAN mill in

[1:31:41] » Showcasing Port Alurnie's MLAN mill in

[1:31:41] this way tripled the amount of time the

[1:31:43] producers of one mile and one more mile

[1:31:46] spent there. and they were here for two

[1:31:47] months um working um while they shot not

[1:31:52] just one uh part of one but almost the

[1:31:55] entirety of a sequel movie.

[1:31:57] >> They had an aerial layout of the mill as

[1:32:01] » They had an aerial layout of the mill as

[1:32:01] well as inside the machinery and the

[1:32:03] buildings. It allowed them almost a 360

[1:32:07] of the location so they're better able

[1:32:09] to to to block out their shooting in

[1:32:12] their mind. Extra days obviously results

[1:32:15] in extra revenue for the venue and the

[1:32:17] community.

[1:32:18] >> Now they're looking for other

[1:32:19] » Now they're looking for other

[1:32:19] opportunities within the environment and

[1:32:21] within the community. And that was

[1:32:23] pretty amazing.

[1:32:24] >> Hi. [laughter]

[1:32:26] » Hi. [laughter]

[1:32:26] Don't mind me.

[1:32:27] >> A byproduct of the location scout

[1:32:29] » A byproduct of the location scout

[1:32:29] funding is that a handful of

[1:32:31] photographers secured temporary

[1:32:32] opportunities with productions shooting

[1:32:34] in the region.

[1:32:35] >> The locations manager for the Eden

[1:32:37] » The locations manager for the Eden

[1:32:38] Express contacted me and asked me if I

[1:32:41] could go scouting again. So, I did that

[1:32:43] a couple of weekends.

[1:32:45] >> Location scouting is a fun job. It does

[1:32:48] » Location scouting is a fun job. It does

[1:32:48] involve a lot of creativity, outside the

[1:32:52] box, thinking, what can look like this

[1:32:54] that could be paired with this? For

[1:32:57] example,

[1:32:58] >> a large portion of the funding also went

[1:33:00] » a large portion of the funding also went

[1:33:00] for the purchase of a three-tonon truck

[1:33:01] and trailer, as well as two smaller

[1:33:03] units, all filled with industry

[1:33:05] essential equipment. The trailer close

[1:33:07] to me is a 9 ft utility trailer, and

[1:33:11] that'll be used to carry uh uh location

[1:33:14] equipment, our bolt stack batteries, uh

[1:33:17] just a general runaround kind of trailer

[1:33:19] to augment our three-tonon truck that's

[1:33:21] actually out on our production right

[1:33:22] now. Our other trailer, the one farther

[1:33:25] behind me, is a 14 ft multi-use trailer.

[1:33:27] Uh we purchased it, kitted out as a

[1:33:30] mobile first aid room and prep office.

[1:33:34] Inside there's shelving, a pull down

[1:33:36] Murphy bed, and it is running off deep

[1:33:39] cycle marine batteries. It can be put

[1:33:41] out into the woods to prep a film

[1:33:43] location off-rid, and it could be kept

[1:33:45] there for weeks.

[1:33:46] >> The commission was also able to purchase

[1:33:48] » The commission was also able to purchase

[1:33:48] four battery operated volt stack

[1:33:50] generators to be utilized by visiting

[1:33:52] productions.

[1:33:53] >> This handy little tool should be in

[1:33:55] » This handy little tool should be in

[1:33:55] almost anyone's arsenal. I think it's a

[1:33:57] portable power bank called a Volt Stack.

[1:34:00] You get 5 kW of energy, nice and silent

[1:34:03] and uh environmentally friendly. There's

[1:34:05] no emissions.

[1:34:06] >> The quiet operation of the generators

[1:34:08] » The quiet operation of the generators

[1:34:08] allows them to be used close to the

[1:34:10] filming, eliminating any undesirable

[1:34:13] noise, which is a problem with

[1:34:14] conventional generators.

[1:34:16] >> Well, the drawbacks is when it comes to

[1:34:18] » Well, the drawbacks is when it comes to

[1:34:18] sound, I mean, they can hear a mosquito

[1:34:19] fart, it seems like. So, the further

[1:34:21] away you can be with anything that

[1:34:23] doesn't sound like what they're talking

[1:34:24] about on set, the better. So having

[1:34:26] something close by without having to run

[1:34:28] an abundance of cable is influential for

[1:34:30] sure.

[1:34:31] >> The truck, trailers, and generators are

[1:34:33] » The truck, trailers, and generators are

[1:34:33] being used to make it more affordable

[1:34:35] for producers to travel to and shoot in

[1:34:37] the region.

[1:34:38] >> The idea behind these are an additional

[1:34:40] » The idea behind these are an additional

[1:34:40] soft incentive for local producers,

[1:34:42] emerging productions, and independent.

[1:34:45] They're to offset the cost of renting

[1:34:48] equipment and then transporting it from

[1:34:49] Vancouver over the ferry up to the uh to

[1:34:52] the North Island. It's another truck

[1:34:54] that has to come across on fairies and

[1:34:56] and to service and the generators and

[1:34:58] and like you know having electric

[1:35:01] generators instead of gas is also a

[1:35:02] savings. So no, it's I would highly

[1:35:05] recommend it to every anyone anyone can

[1:35:06] call me. [laughter] Any producer that

[1:35:08] wants to do it can call me. I'm happy to

[1:35:10] talk about it.

[1:35:11] >> Having a locations kit for a series, you

[1:35:13] » Having a locations kit for a series, you

[1:35:13] know, that that could be a run of show

[1:35:14] could be upwards of a $100,000 rental.

[1:35:17] And so being able to provide that on

[1:35:20] loan to productions, it's a very

[1:35:22] powerful draw. Uh and the feedback we

[1:35:23] have had is very very positive.

[1:35:25] >> The location equipment will also be used

[1:35:27] » The location equipment will also be used

[1:35:27] for training local individuals hoping to

[1:35:30] be future film workers.

[1:35:31] >> The film industry always needs new

[1:35:34] » The film industry always needs new

[1:35:34] workers. Always needs to train new

[1:35:36] people.

[1:35:36] >> Hand up an inch and then pull it out.

[1:35:40] » Hand up an inch and then pull it out.

[1:35:40] >> Since we purchased our location kit and

[1:35:42] » Since we purchased our location kit and

[1:35:42] truck, uh we've been to Gibson's, Port

[1:35:45] Al Bernie, uh training on site there.

[1:35:47] Those are two examples.

[1:35:51] Drone images, location files, loanable

[1:35:54] equipment, and vehicle purchases were

[1:35:57] all made possible thanks to the generous

[1:35:59] contributions of the Rural Economic

[1:36:01] Diversification and Infrastructure

[1:36:03] Program. Together with the Vancouver

[1:36:05] Island North Film Commission, they're

[1:36:06] drawing future productions and

[1:36:08] investment. [music] We have productions

[1:36:10] that are coming because of our scouting,

[1:36:12] because of our location kits. We're

[1:36:13] finding and the productions are finding

[1:36:16] the communities are outstanding. Uh we

[1:36:18] have beautiful locations. We have

[1:36:20] wonderful incentives, but our main

[1:36:21] attraction is the people.

[1:36:23] >> I would say that Vancouver Island is

[1:36:26] » I would say that Vancouver Island is

[1:36:26] like no other place on this planet. Um,

[1:36:29] the opportunities here are immense and

[1:36:33] the great thing about it for the most

[1:36:34] part is that it's relatively

[1:36:36] undiscovered and that means right now

[1:36:39] that there are deals to be had.

[1:36:42] >> This area has a lot of what looks like

[1:36:45] » This area has a lot of what looks like

[1:36:45] untouched um nature. You know, it's a

[1:36:48] lot easier to film something when you

[1:36:51] don't have like 2500 people sitting on

[1:36:53] the beach. You literally have like 10

[1:36:55] that might want to go there that day.

[1:36:57] It's easier to close down a location.

[1:36:59] And I believe the opportunities are here

[1:37:02] because we have the space, we have the

[1:37:04] views, we have the buildings, and we

[1:37:07] have a lot more crew here now than we

[1:37:09] ever did. That's been a hindrance in the

[1:37:12] past, not having enough crew. We have a

[1:37:15] lot more crew here now. and we have a

[1:37:17] lot more opportunity in the future. I'm

[1:37:20] very proud of our communities. I'm very

[1:37:23] proud of the industry that has come here

[1:37:26] and developed of how uh diversified we

[1:37:29] are now that we've been able to bring

[1:37:31] this sector into our communities and

[1:37:34] really noticeably now. And it's with

[1:37:36] pride that we look forward to what we

[1:37:39] can do now that we've been putting all

[1:37:41] our tools in place.

[1:37:53] So there you go. I'm happy to answer

[1:37:54] questions because I know we've taken up

[1:37:56] a lot of time, but um we're really it

[1:37:58] was a big thing to do for four years was

[1:38:01] to do all of that and we have people

[1:38:02] working in your community right now. In

[1:38:04] fact, I was reaching out to to Astra who

[1:38:06] you saw to do a couple projects today.

[1:38:08] Our crews are working, people are moving

[1:38:10] to our area that are skilled um because

[1:38:13] our communities are fabulous. So, you

[1:38:15] know, the regions of BC right now are

[1:38:18] doing much better than the lower

[1:38:19] mainland. People are going out to the

[1:38:21] regions. Domestic industry is growing.

[1:38:24] Uh so, things are looking bright for us.

[1:38:25] So, thank you very much and I'm happy to

[1:38:27] answer any questions. Okay,

[1:38:29] >> great. Thank you, Miller. Is there any

[1:38:31] » great. Thank you, Miller. Is there any

[1:38:31] questions of Director Isacson?

[1:38:34] >> Thank you, Chair. uh from the chair to

[1:38:35] » Thank you, Chair. uh from the chair to

[1:38:36] uh Miss Miller, I'm wondering about uh

[1:38:38] local employment uh as it relates to um

[1:38:41] some of your work and how you encourage

[1:38:43] it. For example, I I'm trying to

[1:38:45] remember which production that was shot

[1:38:48] in the Kat region. Um but I think there

[1:38:50] was someone from the island working as a

[1:38:52] scout and I I suspect they would have

[1:38:54] been working for the production and not

[1:38:56] you, but I don't know for sure. Um and

[1:38:59] the location scout was from the island

[1:39:00] and seeking, you know, connections

[1:39:03] locally and And I feel like there's so

[1:39:05] uh so many people locally who do work in

[1:39:07] film production that could have been an

[1:39:09] asset directly. And so I'm wondering

[1:39:11] about um how some of the the work that

[1:39:17] you're doing and that that this small

[1:39:19] piece of funding would be attributed

[1:39:21] towards would also support um local

[1:39:25] employment more directly when suitable.

[1:39:27] >> Oh well thank you for the question.

[1:39:29] » Oh well thank you for the question.

[1:39:29] Well, Astra Bulock that you saw

[1:39:30] interviewed there three times is from

[1:39:32] Pal River. So, we trained her. She's

[1:39:35] part of that we what we did with the

[1:39:38] with the uh part of our funding was to

[1:39:40] reach out to each one of the six

[1:39:42] actually seven regional districts. We

[1:39:44] hired local photographers. We put them

[1:39:46] through training courses and then we put

[1:39:48] them sent them out to photographs. So,

[1:39:50] we shot 2,000 new images, new location

[1:39:53] files, which may be 60 images per file

[1:39:56] throughout our whole region. So when you

[1:39:59] heard Astra go, "Oh god, they asked me

[1:40:01] to do 150 locations." That was her in

[1:40:03] Pal River covering you. So again, we do

[1:40:07] we we've reached out to ensure that we

[1:40:09] we have hired and trained people that

[1:40:10] live in each one of the regional

[1:40:12] juristics that that we're funded

[1:40:13] through. Um and so instead of production

[1:40:16] now having to send someone over from the

[1:40:18] island, sometimes production will pay to

[1:40:20] send a scout in. Um because we're a not

[1:40:22] for-profit, we are now able to redirect

[1:40:26] those productions to the local people to

[1:40:28] be the ones they hire because we've they

[1:40:30] know what they're doing now. They know

[1:40:32] how to upload into our system, which is

[1:40:34] a industry system that you have to have

[1:40:36] permission and training to be able to

[1:40:38] get into. Um so that's we did to ensure

[1:40:41] that we aren't sending someone from

[1:40:43] Vancouver Island over to the lower to

[1:40:46] upper or lower Sunshine Coast. Um, we

[1:40:49] also did training for crew that we

[1:40:51] offered up through we advertised through

[1:40:53] all of the employment centers. So, we

[1:40:55] did have people from the Cadet Regional

[1:40:57] District that took our grip lighting PA

[1:40:59] courses of which we 100% funded. I wrote

[1:41:03] I wrote over a million and a half

[1:41:05] dollars worth of funding grants for

[1:41:07] training over four years and we pro we

[1:41:10] trained over 450 people fully trained

[1:41:12] them to industry specs to get into the

[1:41:15] unions and covered all their expenses.

[1:41:17] So, we've been working really hard

[1:41:20] trying to build the capacity locally so

[1:41:22] they don't have to bring so many people

[1:41:24] over. And when you heard one of the

[1:41:26] scouts from Port El Bernie talking about

[1:41:28] that, I mean, it's made a huge

[1:41:30] difference. So, we're now seeing backto

[1:41:32] backto backto back projects coming in

[1:41:35] where they're hiring local crew or uh

[1:41:38] not 100% local crew because we haven't

[1:41:40] been able to get into camera and some of

[1:41:42] those technical things. But when it

[1:41:44] comes to production assistance, grips,

[1:41:46] lighting, uh set construction,

[1:41:49] carpentry, all of the types of trades

[1:41:51] where people have skills in another

[1:41:53] sector that we could upskill and and

[1:41:55] train them in so that they can jump from

[1:41:57] one industry to the other when work is

[1:41:59] there. We're doing our best to provide

[1:42:01] those kind of skills tuitionfree to help

[1:42:04] them find work when work comes to their

[1:42:07] to their area.

[1:42:10] >> Thank you very much. Are there any other

[1:42:12] » Thank you very much. Are there any other

[1:42:12] questions from the committee? I don't

[1:42:15] see any. So, thank you, Miss Miller, for

[1:42:17] presenting and for showing us the film.

[1:42:19] Relax. Thanks for coming.

[1:42:20] >> Appreciate it. Appreciate and we

[1:42:21] » Appreciate it. Appreciate and we

[1:42:22] appreciate the support we've had from

[1:42:23] you for the last few years.

[1:42:24] >> Director South had a question. Oh,

[1:42:27] » Director South had a question. Oh,

[1:42:27] sorry.

[1:42:27] >> Oh, oh, sorry. My apologies director

[1:42:29] » Oh, oh, sorry. My apologies director

[1:42:29] Southkot. I I think

[1:42:30] >> I got to get more

[1:42:31] » I got to get more

[1:42:31] >> in the background. I don't see it

[1:42:32] » in the background. I don't see it

[1:42:32] always. So, we do have one question from

[1:42:34] Director Southk.

[1:42:35] >> I see it difficult. Yeah. Quick

[1:42:37] » I see it difficult. Yeah. Quick

[1:42:37] question. Having some in a previous

[1:42:39] lifetime having contact with the uh

[1:42:43] film industry in Vancouver when I worked

[1:42:44] down there. Uh I became aware of what a

[1:42:49] huge uh economic um impact the industry

[1:42:52] had and also that it's very it's low

[1:42:54] impact as far as environmentally etc. So

[1:42:58] there's it's a high benefit industry.

[1:43:01] That was my impression. U this region is

[1:43:05] absolutely looking for economic

[1:43:07] opportunity and the two just really fit

[1:43:10] together in my mind. I you know your

[1:43:13] grant um request is not very big. I'm

[1:43:16] really uh

[1:43:19] it this area knowing that we've had four

[1:43:21] feature films filmed here already and we

[1:43:24] don't have the millm making noise

[1:43:26] anymore to uh camper that which was a

[1:43:29] problem in the past. my understood from

[1:43:32] um previously

[1:43:34] uh your your video doesn't really you

[1:43:37] hardly even mention uh economic benefit

[1:43:40] to um regions that you're working in and

[1:43:43] I'm just wondering if that is an

[1:43:44] oversight or uh if there's a plan to

[1:43:48] feature that more or what you're

[1:43:49] thinking might be on that.

[1:43:51] >> Well, thank you for that question. Well,

[1:43:52] » Well, thank you for that question. Well,

[1:43:52] it was difficult because that particular

[1:43:54] video was made to report back to that

[1:43:57] particular fund and they were looking at

[1:43:59] how did we in did we invest the money in

[1:44:02] what we applied for which was purchasing

[1:44:04] equipment that we could loan in order to

[1:44:06] attract production out. So that's a soft

[1:44:08] incentive on top of the incentives the

[1:44:10] government gives to film outside. Also,

[1:44:13] the training that we did and to reshoot

[1:44:16] all our locations, um,

[1:44:19] what we do daytoday takes weeks and

[1:44:22] weeks and weeks to report out on because

[1:44:24] we get such little bits of funding from

[1:44:26] so many different places. So, you're

[1:44:28] always trying to target it to what that

[1:44:29] funding was. So, a project like Eden

[1:44:32] Express, their economic impact report

[1:44:34] came back at about $2.5 million spent

[1:44:37] directly in the uh in the cadet area.

[1:44:41] But for that particular year 2025, I

[1:44:44] think we did $28 million. So we're

[1:44:47] talking Port Al Bernie had two lower Mid

[1:44:50] Island had two feature films. Um the

[1:44:52] Tofino had a feature two feature films

[1:44:55] and a TV series. It's the difficult part

[1:44:58] of what I do is that everybody that we

[1:45:00] get a little piece of funding from wants

[1:45:02] us to tell us what we did in their area

[1:45:05] and then I have to go over top and do a

[1:45:07] big one for the province. So, it's

[1:45:09] sometime really hard to break it all

[1:45:11] apart because some want to hear the big

[1:45:14] picture, some want to know all the

[1:45:15] economic, and then some want to know

[1:45:17] what did their $3,000 get them for an

[1:45:20] investment in their own area. So, it is

[1:45:23] a something that we've struggled with,

[1:45:25] not only our area, but the regions of

[1:45:26] BC. And we're really we're really trying

[1:45:30] to in a lot of meetings recently with

[1:45:32] the provincial government to try and get

[1:45:33] them to recognize there has to be more

[1:45:35] communication be the provincial

[1:45:36] government's investment in this as a

[1:45:39] industry that can help diversify more

[1:45:41] than just Vancouver but is really

[1:45:42] helping diversify the regions and the

[1:45:45] rural regions in areas where they said

[1:45:47] this will never happen. Um, and they

[1:45:50] need to talk. We need to get them. We're

[1:45:51] trying to push the province to talk to

[1:45:53] regional districts. So, it's not me in

[1:45:56] front of a grant and aid program where I

[1:45:59] feel really bad because there's these

[1:46:00] amazing groups that need the money.

[1:46:02] We're in the wrong we're sitting at the

[1:46:04] wrong venue to talk about economic

[1:46:06] development. Um, and so, yeah, we we

[1:46:10] we've struggled. We've been left on our

[1:46:12] own for like 28 years to kind of grow

[1:46:14] it. And so, we've passionately been

[1:46:16] growing it. and now they're recognizing

[1:46:18] the impact is really huge, not only in

[1:46:20] our area, but Okonagan, the island and

[1:46:23] the Okonogan have really grown their

[1:46:24] film industry. Um, but we're missing

[1:46:28] we're missing that piece where we have

[1:46:30] all of the different levels of

[1:46:32] government sitting at one table to

[1:46:34] understand what the what the importance

[1:46:36] of this sector like forestry or like

[1:46:39] mining or anything is tourism to their

[1:46:42] area and not just leave it up to us to

[1:46:44] try and continue to have to do these

[1:46:46] three minute presentations or you've got

[1:46:48] five minutes. You have five minutes to

[1:46:50] tell this group what it is you do and

[1:46:53] how good it is. So, um it's a it's been

[1:46:56] a challenge and yes, um yes, it's it's

[1:46:59] been a challenge and it's one we're

[1:47:01] working on and one we're hoping the

[1:47:03] province will help us work

[1:47:05] collaboratively with so the messaging

[1:47:07] can be flowing from local government to

[1:47:10] regional government to provincial

[1:47:11] government so they see the impact of it

[1:47:14] as um an investment in an industry that

[1:47:16] benefits all. Don't know if that makes

[1:47:19] any sense but sorry

[1:47:22] >> my major thank you very much for your

[1:47:23] » my major thank you very much for your

[1:47:23] answer. Um what it tells me is that this

[1:47:26] is a far larger uh conversation

[1:47:29] uh to

[1:47:32] pursue what I am interested in seeing

[1:47:35] happen in our region.

[1:47:37] >> Well we would love

[1:47:38] » Well we would love

[1:47:38] >> sorry we'd love to have that

[1:47:40] » sorry we'd love to have that

[1:47:40] conversation with you at the right time.

[1:47:42] Um but it's hard to do it when it's a

[1:47:45] five minute give your overall and and

[1:47:47] then ask answer a few questions. So yes

[1:47:50] having people that are interested in

[1:47:52] looking at how we can expand this and

[1:47:53] collaboratively leverage all levels of

[1:47:56] government to create you know this

[1:47:58] industry as a viable industry in every

[1:48:00] rural and regional area of the province

[1:48:03] is really important to all of us that do

[1:48:04] our job.

[1:48:08] Thank you very much and thank you for uh

[1:48:11] presenting to our committee.

[1:48:13] >> Oh, thank you.

[1:48:17] » Okay. Uh with that, I we'll take a

[1:48:19] 10-minute break and those in the room

[1:48:21] can enjoy the fine food that has been

[1:48:23] delivered and those who are not in the

[1:48:24] room will go forge

[1:48:26] and uh

[1:48:28] >> 10 minutes. Is that what we what we

[1:48:29] » 10 minutes. Is that what we what we

[1:48:30] said? Uh corporate office,

[1:48:31] >> how about we return at 3:00?

[1:48:33] » how about we return at 3:00?

[1:48:33] >> Sounds perfect.

[1:48:36] » Sounds perfect.

[1:48:36] Breathe in.

[1:48:43] » For those who have presented already,

[2:03:08] Recording in progress.

[2:03:10] Okay,

[2:03:11] >> welcome back everyone. That's 301 almost

[2:03:14] » welcome back everyone. That's 301 almost

[2:03:14] 302 where we'll carry on with our

[2:03:16] delegations and item 3.11

[2:03:19] is a delegation by Russell Brewer, CET

[2:03:22] Tourism Society. Uh Mr. Brewer, you have

[2:03:26] 10 minutes and you're attending

[2:03:27] virtually, so the screen is yours and

[2:03:29] then maybe we'll ask questions.

[2:03:31] >> Great. Thank you very much. And just a

[2:03:33] » Great. Thank you very much. And just a

[2:03:33] quick check you can hear me. All right.

[2:03:35] >> Excellent.

[2:03:36] » Excellent.

[2:03:36] >> Great. Well, thank you very much, chair

[2:03:38] » Great. Well, thank you very much, chair

[2:03:38] and committee for uh letting all these

[2:03:41] nonprofits, ourselves included, have an

[2:03:43] opportunity to present. It's much

[2:03:45] appreciated. And I'll try and keep it a

[2:03:49] little bit briefer than my time allotted

[2:03:51] because I know you've got quite a few

[2:03:53] here yet to get through. Uh so I'm

[2:03:55] representing Cath Tourism Society. I'm

[2:03:58] the president for the board and we've

[2:04:02] been established in place about 33 years

[2:04:04] now. First established in 1993

[2:04:08] and just thought it'd be it'd be helpful

[2:04:11] to walk through who's actually on our

[2:04:13] board. Uh many of them have been serving

[2:04:15] for a long time. We've got Christy

[2:04:16] Mitchell, Annne Nelson, Jo Mclaclin,

[2:04:20] Nina Misalum, Eagle Waltz, Keith Lton,

[2:04:23] Peter Harvey, Jerry Childris, Melanie

[2:04:26] Hansen, and Matt McDow. And of course,

[2:04:29] we have three ex officials. Councelor

[2:04:32] Almeida from the city, Director

[2:04:33] McCormack from the QRD, and Kelly Keel

[2:04:36] from the Chamber of Commerce is on our

[2:04:39] board as well. And we've also got three

[2:04:42] staff at present. Jenny Allen Taves,

[2:04:45] Emily Fea, and Holly Brack, as well as

[2:04:48] some volunteers that have been

[2:04:51] supporting the tourism society for quite

[2:04:54] a long time, including Mike Ley, who is

[2:04:57] coming on 20 years now. He's been a

[2:04:59] volunteer for for the society. He just

[2:05:02] loves doing it. And many of our board

[2:05:04] members have been there quite a long

[2:05:05] time as well. They come from a variety

[2:05:07] of backgrounds. They're all quite

[2:05:08] committed to the tourism sector and

[2:05:10] supporting tourism in the region.

[2:05:13] And we also have Pat and Athella who are

[2:05:15] also volunteers for us.

[2:05:19] So a bit of a walk through what the

[2:05:22] tourism society does. We we operate the

[2:05:25] visitor center obviously and provide

[2:05:28] visitor information services in

[2:05:30] partnership with the city, the QRD,

[2:05:33] destination BC as well as other

[2:05:36] organizations throughout the region.

[2:05:39] So we provide visitor information

[2:05:40] services 12 months a year for the region

[2:05:43] as a whole. We promote the region as a

[2:05:45] tourism destination.

[2:05:47] We support local businesses

[2:05:49] upon request and and when appropriate

[2:05:52] with local marketing programs created by

[2:05:54] local businesses and collect stats for

[2:05:57] research purposes.

[2:06:00] We also collect stats on visitors to the

[2:06:02] area. And that's something we share with

[2:06:04] the city, the RD and Destination BC and

[2:06:08] other partners

[2:06:10] as as appropriate. We help coordinate

[2:06:12] local events and training for local

[2:06:14] businesses including destination BC

[2:06:16] approved courses

[2:06:19] and we work collaboratively as much as

[2:06:21] we can with other tourism related know

[2:06:24] regional boards, committees, businesses,

[2:06:26] associations,

[2:06:28] many quite a few of them actually that

[2:06:30] are presenting here today as well to to

[2:06:32] the committee.

[2:06:35] And our request is pretty much outlined.

[2:06:38] I'll I'll just read what's in there. I

[2:06:40] know there's a lot of material on your

[2:06:42] agenda, but I I'll read a little section

[2:06:43] of it. The the funds, as in past years,

[2:06:47] are intended to be used to support staff

[2:06:50] at the visitor center, particularly

[2:06:52] through the high season in the summer

[2:06:54] here, but also into the shoulder

[2:06:55] seasons, so later into the fall and then

[2:06:57] all the way through to May. And that

[2:07:00] that helps us support the busiest months

[2:07:03] of the year, but also helps transition

[2:07:05] into the shoulder season so that we've

[2:07:07] got smooth operations at the visitor

[2:07:08] center.

[2:07:10] Throughout the off season, a significant

[2:07:12] portion of the funds are dedicated to

[2:07:14] staff and this includes covering

[2:07:17] salaries of course and other operational

[2:07:19] expenses essential for smooth operation

[2:07:22] of our center.

[2:07:25] Maintaining year-round operations allows

[2:07:27] the center to consistently support both

[2:07:30] visitors and locals alike while

[2:07:33] promoting local attractions and

[2:07:35] amenities

[2:07:37] and arguably contributing to the the

[2:07:40] overall economic health and cultural

[2:07:42] vitality of of the region. It's always

[2:07:45] surprising to me. I've heard the

[2:07:48] argument made several times, well, in

[2:07:51] this era of online presence and apps and

[2:07:54] such, do we really need uh physical

[2:07:56] spaces?

[2:07:58] I'm always surprised anytime I stop in

[2:08:00] there to sign checks or check in with

[2:08:01] staff or or do things. How long a visit

[2:08:05] it becomes just because there's so many

[2:08:06] people actually coming through the door.

[2:08:08] There's lots of folks that still like to

[2:08:10] stop by visitor centers to get some

[2:08:12] local information, local flavor that

[2:08:15] that they may not get elsewhere or just

[2:08:17] through online presence.

[2:08:21] Additionally, funds will be used to help

[2:08:23] support staff attending events

[2:08:25] throughout the region, also covering

[2:08:27] expenses such as mileage, promotional

[2:08:30] materials, and any participation fees.

[2:08:33] So that's it in a nutshell committee and

[2:08:36] happy of course to take any questions

[2:08:38] you may have for our about our

[2:08:41] application.

[2:08:42] >> Thank you very much Mr. Brewer. Uh are

[2:08:44] » Thank you very much Mr. Brewer. Uh are

[2:08:44] there questions from the committee?

[2:08:47] Uh Director Lennox.

[2:08:49] >> Yeah. Thanks chair and thanks for your

[2:08:51] » Yeah. Thanks chair and thanks for your

[2:08:51] presentation. Um I'm [clears throat]

[2:08:54] trying to think back. uh every board

[2:08:58] meeting we do a director's report and I

[2:09:00] think it was director McCormack you

[2:09:01] mentioned that she's uh involved and has

[2:09:04] uh is following the ongoing um

[2:09:07] activities of your group and um I think

[2:09:10] I took a note there thinking about

[2:09:12] [clears throat] it that uh you said

[2:09:14] there was two students for eight weeks

[2:09:17] uh focused on area events in the region

[2:09:19] and other activities I'm sure and uh of

[2:09:21] course up in area A we're looking for

[2:09:25] those area activities around Savory and

[2:09:27] other other places. Um, and so I'm just

[2:09:29] wondering my question is if this

[2:09:32] application were to be unsuccessful or a

[2:09:34] reduced amount.

[2:09:36] I is it fair to say that would impact

[2:09:39] those abilities to get out in the

[2:09:41] community? Um, I think you may I'm

[2:09:43] assuming you'd be able to cover the

[2:09:45] office because you got to cover the

[2:09:47] office, but it would impact your

[2:09:48] outreach. Is that fair to say?

[2:09:51] >> Yeah, that through the chair. That's

[2:09:53] » Yeah, that through the chair. That's

[2:09:53] correct. Director Lennox, it would

[2:09:55] impact

[2:09:57] how often we would be able to get out

[2:09:58] and impact the hours that we'd be able

[2:10:01] to maintain the visitor center open. So,

[2:10:03] there'd have to be a balance struck

[2:10:05] between uh I think the priority would

[2:10:08] still be because it's a focus of the

[2:10:10] board to get more of the folks out to

[2:10:12] those events throughout the region

[2:10:13] throughout the year. That's been

[2:10:15] something we've heard from different

[2:10:16] organizations and representatives. So,

[2:10:20] likely we would balance some of the

[2:10:22] hours. We'd maintain the visitor center

[2:10:24] open in order to allow students and

[2:10:27] employees to get out to those events.

[2:10:29] >> Thank you.

[2:10:31] » Thank you.

[2:10:31] [clears throat]

[2:10:32] >> Are there any other questions from the

[2:10:35] » Are there any other questions from the

[2:10:35] committee? Uh I I have one question for

[2:10:38] you, Mr. Burr, which is about the uh I

[2:10:40] guess the off season and the shoulder

[2:10:42] season. Is it the case that there's uh

[2:10:45] been an increase enough to warrant

[2:10:47] having more uh staff resources or is it

[2:10:50] that the goal is to have that increase?

[2:10:53] So, what's the balance between, you

[2:10:54] know, has it already happened or is it

[2:10:56] something that that uh that tourism is

[2:10:58] trying to do?

[2:10:59] >> That that's a great question. It's a bit

[2:11:02] » That that's a great question. It's a bit

[2:11:02] of both. So, uh, I think it's fair to

[2:11:06] say, you know, the other partner in the

[2:11:09] region, Sunshine Coast Tourism, they're

[2:11:11] the destination marketing organization

[2:11:12] for the upper and lower Sunshine Coast.

[2:11:14] They've done a great job of marketing

[2:11:16] the region as a whole. And in a recent

[2:11:19] report, they shared that we're starting

[2:11:21] to see a lift in those shoulder season

[2:11:25] numbers and room stays and such. So,

[2:11:28] we're seeing that, too, just with

[2:11:29] visitors to the visitor center. So,

[2:11:33] it's it's a bit of a function of the

[2:11:35] good work they're doing. We're

[2:11:36] definitely anecdotally and the numbers

[2:11:37] show it, there's more people coming in

[2:11:39] the shoulder season, hence the need for

[2:11:41] more visitor information services and

[2:11:43] the shoulder seasons as well, which is

[2:11:45] great. I think we're starting to see

[2:11:48] definitely more folks coming earlier and

[2:11:50] coming later than perhaps we have over

[2:11:53] the last, you know, decade or two for

[2:11:55] sure.

[2:11:56] >> Great. Thank you. Are there any other

[2:11:59] » Great. Thank you. Are there any other

[2:11:59] questions? Looking to see I don't miss

[2:12:00] anyone in the room. Director McCormack,

[2:12:02] >> thank you. Or not in the room is the

[2:12:04] » thank you. Or not in the room is the

[2:12:04] case.

[2:12:05] >> Um, thank you for your presentation,

[2:12:08] » Um, thank you for your presentation,

[2:12:08] Russ. Um, I really enjoy being part of

[2:12:11] the uh, Cath tourism discussion. Um,

[2:12:14] because they're really forward thinking

[2:12:17] and so my question is about kind of

[2:12:20] waving the flag a little bit more. Will

[2:12:23] this um these positions enable Katourism

[2:12:28] to get the name out there and to

[2:12:31] increase um the opportunities to promote

[2:12:34] uh the local businesses in Lond or Texa

[2:12:38] or Neil Sultry Bay as the case may be.

[2:12:42] >> Yeah, very much so. Director McCormack,

[2:12:44] » Yeah, very much so. Director McCormack,

[2:12:44] I I think it'll it'll allow us to have,

[2:12:48] you know, tourism, cultural ambassadors,

[2:12:51] if you will, getting out to those events

[2:12:52] more, sharing information, going where

[2:12:55] the people are at, not necessarily being

[2:12:56] in a brick and mortar building waiting

[2:12:58] for the people to come come to the

[2:13:00] visitor center. That's the intent very

[2:13:02] much so.

[2:13:03] >> Makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

[2:13:06] » Makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

[2:13:06] >> Thank you very much. I don't see any

[2:13:08] » Thank you very much. I don't see any

[2:13:08] other hands up. So, thank you for

[2:13:10] presenting before us and we will

[2:13:11] consider this at a future meeting.

[2:13:14] >> Great. Thank you very much.

[2:13:16] » Great. Thank you very much.

[2:13:16] >> Okay. Uh our next item 3.12 is uh

[2:13:20] » Okay. Uh our next item 3.12 is uh

[2:13:20] delegate uh Dorene Fraser, community

[2:13:23] coordinator, Powell River United Church.

[2:13:26] And I believe Miss Fraser's in the room

[2:13:28] coming to us before. So, thank you very

[2:13:30] much for presenting to the committee.

[2:13:32] You have 10 minutes and then we may ask

[2:13:34] questions.

[2:13:37] >> I'm Dope Fraser. I sit on the board of

[2:13:39] » I'm Dope Fraser. I sit on the board of

[2:13:39] the Paul River United Church as the

[2:13:42] fishes and loaves ministry. I work

[2:13:45] closely with our local outreach ministry

[2:13:48] which is uh led by Cynthia Leighton. Um

[2:13:53] the Palmer Reunited Church has served

[2:13:55] pastor meals by donation in the chat

[2:13:57] region for 25 years. But coming out of

[2:14:01] COVID, we as a congregation looked

[2:14:04] inside and said, "What can we do to meet

[2:14:06] our mission of serving love and out of

[2:14:10] that came local outreach. We just saw a

[2:14:14] need inside our community and we thought

[2:14:17] perhaps in some way we could bridge

[2:14:20] uh things that were happening." Um so we

[2:14:24] said, "Well, what is it we have to

[2:14:25] offer?" So what we had to offer is a

[2:14:27] building which we're privileged to have

[2:14:30] reduction of costs and things and we

[2:14:33] felt serving with love was opening that

[2:14:35] building up

[2:14:37] um we had a community kitchen. Um we

[2:14:40] also had a program um pasta dinners

[2:14:43] which um had not run since pandemic. So

[2:14:48] we said what can we do to make that

[2:14:50] work? Like everyone, our volunteers had

[2:14:53] fallen off. Our contacts had changed,

[2:14:56] but we started to rebuild. So over two

[2:14:59] years, we came back with one meal a

[2:15:02] month, down from our four meals a month.

[2:15:05] And during that time, this magical thing

[2:15:08] happened. Um, a group called Circle of

[2:15:13] Friends. It's grassroot movement. It's

[2:15:16] probably 60 to 70% non-members of the

[2:15:20] congregation, but members of the

[2:15:21] community who care, those who wanted to

[2:15:23] help us reach out and give us depth of

[2:15:26] ability to to move forward. So, at the

[2:15:29] end [clears throat] of the second year,

[2:15:31] our outreach on ministry came forward

[2:15:34] and said, "We have an opportunity. The

[2:15:36] United Church of Canada is providing

[2:15:39] will provide a provision grant for up to

[2:15:42] three years for us to do what we're we

[2:15:45] want to do. And um you know, hit the

[2:15:49] wall running if you're going to hit the

[2:15:51] wall, they say. So we decided to jump in

[2:15:54] and we put in a a proposal that we would

[2:15:58] provide not one meal but two meals a

[2:16:01] week. One for seniors and one for our

[2:16:04] regular meetings um with no charge. As

[2:16:08] well we wanted to offer an opportunity

[2:16:10] for those who were struggling to get

[2:16:12] back into the workforce for whatever

[2:16:13] reason. those who are living with

[2:16:16] intellectual disabilities to find a

[2:16:18] place where they could come and work and

[2:16:21] feel and grow community. Um there is a

[2:16:24] small honorarium involved in this

[2:16:26] program. Um we have helped people with

[2:16:29] food safe. We've had people come

[2:16:31] together and become a community. We have

[2:16:34] one family that have taken it to the

[2:16:36] point where they provide one meal a

[2:16:38] month um through uh through press for

[2:16:42] about 30 to 40 people all on their own.

[2:16:45] And this young man when he got his first

[2:16:47] honorarium from us said how pleased he

[2:16:51] was because he'd always wanted to earn a

[2:16:52] paycheck. So we thought okay there's

[2:16:55] success in that program for us. So

[2:16:59] that's was born the community provision

[2:17:01] food program.

[2:17:03] Um it's been exciting at times

[2:17:05] challenging. Um this action of radical

[2:17:08] love and acceptance when opening our

[2:17:10] doors for all with no cost. It's built a

[2:17:14] community. It has built this place where

[2:17:17] people come and they say hi to people

[2:17:21] they didn't know before. They um join

[2:17:24] in. They look for people who who are

[2:17:26] going to be there. And this other thing

[2:17:28] that happened that we did not expect is

[2:17:30] we have seen the bridging of

[2:17:32] perspectives. We have seen people

[2:17:35] sitting at tables who would never have

[2:17:37] connected who had never been exposed to

[2:17:39] each other and then talk about what they

[2:17:42] had learned how they had their they had

[2:17:45] changed not always but willing to talk

[2:17:47] because you're breaking bread and

[2:17:49] talking to each other. It was it was it

[2:17:51] is really something to see this happen.

[2:17:54] Um this year we've served approximately

[2:17:56] 7,000 meals.

[2:17:58] Um we intentionally expanded our local

[2:18:02] outreach. We developed a working

[2:18:04] relationship with services uh who

[2:18:07] delivered for us 40 meals a week um to

[2:18:09] those living in an encampment or those

[2:18:11] who are unable to come into the building

[2:18:14] and take nourishment at our table. We

[2:18:16] also delivered a minimum of 30 meals a

[2:18:19] week to the meal train who was who

[2:18:22] served with the support. Thankfully, of

[2:18:24] that coalition to end homelessness,

[2:18:26] um

[2:18:29] we dug deep to make sure we weren't

[2:18:32] duplicating because we wanted to ensure

[2:18:33] that what we were providing was going to

[2:18:36] be needed. So, we connected with the

[2:18:38] Jerry Gay Center, the Cranberry Center,

[2:18:40] the city of Powell River, um who offers

[2:18:42] a monthly meal for seniors. So we

[2:18:45] developed a senior program that meets on

[2:18:48] Thursday and following that program

[2:18:51] which started at 11 members and we

[2:18:54] shared 58 last Thursday. Um we have

[2:18:57] what's called projects half done or we

[2:18:59] affectionately call it PhD

[2:19:03] >> and they can stay and we have a cafe and

[2:19:06] » and they can stay and we have a cafe and

[2:19:06] they do and you know not always a lot

[2:19:09] but those who stay have grown to connect

[2:19:13] with uh with each other and you see

[2:19:15] their loneliness lifting a little bit.

[2:19:17] So it's been very rewarding. Um the

[2:19:20] growing number of guests at our dinners

[2:19:22] and lunchons indicate we are filling a

[2:19:24] need in our community for not only

[2:19:26] providing food but building a safe space

[2:19:28] for all to be welcomed.

[2:19:30] uh our volunteers

[2:19:33] are

[2:19:35] come in, they participate, but we're

[2:19:38] always taught to and presented that this

[2:19:40] is serving with love opportunity and

[2:19:42] that this acceptance of where people

[2:19:45] are, where they're at, how they're going

[2:19:47] to be met so that they're not going to

[2:19:49] be feel judged as they come through the

[2:19:51] door is an important part of our

[2:19:52] program.

[2:19:54] Um we have partnered with we work with

[2:19:57] work safe BC or work BC through press uh

[2:20:01] immigration services. Um and last week I

[2:20:04] was contacted by the brain injury

[2:20:06] because they have people who would like

[2:20:07] to come and work in our program for the

[2:20:10] with the honorarium so they can build

[2:20:12] this community. They've heard good

[2:20:13] things about it. Um, so we do provide

[2:20:17] meals. The volunteers, which is a circle

[2:20:20] of friend community has grown and it's

[2:20:23] almost renewed my faith in in what's

[2:20:25] happening in town that there are people

[2:20:27] who just genuinely don't know what to do

[2:20:30] and they feel this is a place to put it.

[2:20:33] and the inclusion and acceptance of this

[2:20:37] our space um has been been something

[2:20:41] that we have indicated and we grow from

[2:20:44] that. We do often we do offer our

[2:20:47] building at no charge for those who come

[2:20:49] and seek it in an area that we we see as

[2:20:52] supporting community outreach.

[2:20:56] Um, the United Church of Canada seated

[2:20:58] us with a grant at 202526

[2:21:02] for $45,000

[2:21:04] with a possibility of two more years if

[2:21:06] we could demonstrate that there was

[2:21:08] support support in our community moving

[2:21:10] forward. So, we're reaching out

[2:21:12] currently with a request for $3,000 to

[2:21:14] demonstrate such an action in our

[2:21:16] community.

[2:21:22] » Thank you very much for your

[2:21:23] presentation. Uh, I will see if anyone

[2:21:26] around the table has a question

[2:21:30] for you.

[2:21:34] Don't see any hands up, but that was

[2:21:36] very good information. That was nice

[2:21:38] presentation. Thank you for coming for

[2:21:40] us

[2:21:40] >> and we'll be considering the request at

[2:21:42] » and we'll be considering the request at

[2:21:42] uh a finance committee meeting in in a

[2:21:45] few weeks probably.

[2:21:47] If we go dinner. [laughter]

[2:21:52] » So, uh, item 3.13,

[2:21:55] if I'm on track here. 3.13, Lesley

[2:21:58] Southerntherland, Powell River Child,

[2:21:59] Youth, and Family Services Society, the

[2:22:02] Orca Bus. Welcome before us, Miss

[2:22:05] Sutherland. I have 10 minutes and we may

[2:22:07] ask questions or may not. It depends on

[2:22:10] [laughter]

[2:22:10] what the committee wants.

[2:22:13] >> Thank you.

[2:22:14] » Thank you.

[2:22:14] >> Hi. Good to see you. All right. So, I'm

[2:22:17] » Hi. Good to see you. All right. So, I'm

[2:22:17] with the Orcab bus. My name is Lesie

[2:22:19] Sutherland. I'm the coordinator of the

[2:22:22] early years programs at Youth and Family

[2:22:25] and the facilitator of the Orcabus.

[2:22:28] So, the Orcabus stands for On the Road

[2:22:32] with Children's Activities. As many of

[2:22:35] you already know, the bus is a beautiful

[2:22:37] 2019 converted Bluebird school bus. and

[2:22:42] we make stops throughout the QRD

[2:22:44] providing early years outreach programs

[2:22:47] for children uh ages 0 to 8 and their

[2:22:51] families. So the primary goal of the

[2:22:54] orca bus uh we reach families who may

[2:22:57] not have access to early years

[2:22:59] programming due to location and other

[2:23:02] barriers. Uh we connect all the we try

[2:23:06] to connect all cath families to health

[2:23:09] and community services in a relaxed and

[2:23:11] safe environment. Uh but above all if

[2:23:15] anybody has been on the orca bus it's a

[2:23:17] place for little ones to explore uh to

[2:23:21] discover to play to have fun to make

[2:23:23] friends and for their caregivers to take

[2:23:26] a break and sit down and connect with

[2:23:30] other parents. Um, anybody who has

[2:23:33] parented 247 a baby or multiple children

[2:23:38] under the age of six, we all know how

[2:23:41] imperative and rejuvenating it is to

[2:23:44] just talk and laugh with other

[2:23:46] grown-ups.

[2:23:48] Um, the Orca bus, we made 54 stops this

[2:23:51] year. The Orca had 754 children, 325

[2:23:58] parents, and 28 service providers visit

[2:24:01] a total of 1,7

[2:24:05] visitors.

[2:24:06] Uh we visit the entire Cath Regional

[2:24:09] District with stops at Northside

[2:24:12] Community Center in Londipers

[2:24:15] Playgroup and Shelter Point on Texa, uh

[2:24:19] Clamama Nation, the CDRC as well as

[2:24:22] Clammed Beach, Palm Beach, as well as

[2:24:26] municipal parks, central locations such

[2:24:29] as the library, the airport, the

[2:24:31] hospital, as well as community events

[2:24:34] such as the Frank Bone Festival and the

[2:24:37] Santa Claus parade.

[2:24:39] Uh I'm also a great believer in

[2:24:42] collaboration.

[2:24:43] We have so many early years resources

[2:24:46] within this community and when we work

[2:24:48] all together it simply means we can

[2:24:51] reach more families. Uh this past year

[2:24:55] the Orca has collaborated with the Pow

[2:24:57] River Public Library with four visits

[2:25:01] and participation in their story time.

[2:25:03] Uh we have collaborated with strong

[2:25:06] start go with the school district. We

[2:25:08] have participated in the plan and

[2:25:10] connect events um through the school

[2:25:13] district.

[2:25:15] And on the bus we host um a community of

[2:25:19] professionals through coastal health

[2:25:22] through inclusion and the chat child

[2:25:25] care resource and referral. So, we have

[2:25:27] people on board the bus who just kind of

[2:25:30] casually end up coming on the bus and

[2:25:32] talking to people. Uh, I also love a

[2:25:35] good theme. Uh, this last April we had a

[2:25:38] farm and garden tour month where I I

[2:25:41] scheduled bus trips to all different

[2:25:43] farms and garden centers. So, we went to

[2:25:46] Blueberry Commons, we went to

[2:25:48] Terranostra Farm and the garden centers.

[2:25:51] And in each of those locations, uh, I

[2:25:54] had a co-f facilitator outside potting

[2:25:57] plants and working with the kids. So, we

[2:25:59] had indoor and outdoor activities. It

[2:26:01] was it was really lovely. And they also

[2:26:03] got a tour of these local farms, which I

[2:26:06] think is really important for little

[2:26:08] people to see. So, our attendance has

[2:26:11] been fantastic and growing. Many

[2:26:14] families, especially during this last

[2:26:16] garden and farm month, uh follow our

[2:26:19] online calendar and attended every

[2:26:22] location. They just would go online and

[2:26:24] find out where we were going to be and

[2:26:25] then show up. Um I'm very grateful for

[2:26:29] our communications lead, Alice Ward

[2:26:31] Cameron, who creates our ongoing

[2:26:34] calendar. We have a calendar that's

[2:26:36] online that you post and she posts on

[2:26:38] Facebook all the time and we have these

[2:26:41] lovely QR codes where people can just

[2:26:44] automatically find our calendar and find

[2:26:46] out where we're going to be. So that is

[2:26:48] Alice and she's amazing. Um I'm also

[2:26:51] very grateful for our we have three

[2:26:53] regular volunteer bus drivers who make

[2:26:56] the trips possible. Uh the orchid bus

[2:26:59] drivers contributed 182.5 volunteer

[2:27:03] hours. 75% of which were in the QRD. Uh

[2:27:08] and we are looking for new drivers. So

[2:27:11] if anybody has a a wild dream to drive a

[2:27:14] bus, um we are looking for drivers.

[2:27:18] Uh the Oraca bus provides a safe space

[2:27:20] for children to play and discover and

[2:27:23] for parents and caregivers to just take

[2:27:26] a breath and connect with other parents

[2:27:29] and connect with the services that they

[2:27:31] may need.

[2:27:33] Uh the first five years of a child's

[2:27:36] life are a critical window of rapid

[2:27:40] brain development, bonding and

[2:27:43] foundational learning. It is such an

[2:27:45] honor for me to facilitate the Orcabus

[2:27:48] program with youth and family and

[2:27:51] support these families with young

[2:27:53] children during this time. So important.

[2:27:56] So thank you very much. That's all I

[2:27:58] have. Thank you for your support and

[2:28:01] thank you for considering our

[2:28:02] application.

[2:28:04] >> Thank you for your presentation. Uh

[2:28:07] » Thank you for your presentation. Uh

[2:28:07] >> I will look around the room to see who

[2:28:09] » I will look around the room to see who

[2:28:09] may or may not have a question about the

[2:28:10] Orcab bus which we're all well aware of.

[2:28:13] We've seen uh you know talked about

[2:28:15] Orcabus for quite a while many years. Uh

[2:28:18] does anyone have a question for

[2:28:23] Miss Sutherland? I don't see any hands

[2:28:26] up, but we will be considering

[2:28:27] everything you said and the application

[2:28:29] at our upcoming finance committee

[2:28:30] meeting next one.

[2:28:32] >> So, thank you. That's really useful and

[2:28:33] » So, thank you. That's really useful and

[2:28:34] and thank thank you for coming before

[2:28:36] the committee here.

[2:28:37] >> Well, you're welcome. Thanks very much.

[2:28:41] » Okay. 3.14

[2:28:44] is Erica Rhymer, studio coordinator,

[2:28:46] Texa Arts, Culture, and Tourism Society

[2:28:49] regarding the Texa Pottery Studio

[2:28:52] attending virtually. If Miss Rhyr is

[2:28:54] online then uh

[2:28:58] I

[2:29:01] see yeah

[2:29:03] there she is. Um Rhymer it's great. So

[2:29:06] you have uh 10 minutes to present to us

[2:29:09] and then we can ask questions.

[2:29:12] >> Oh hi. Okay. Can you hear me?

[2:29:15] » Oh hi. Okay. Can you hear me?

[2:29:15] >> Yes we can. I can always.

[2:29:17] » Yes we can. I can always.

[2:29:17] >> Hi. Um thanks for inviting us to uh make

[2:29:20] » Hi. Um thanks for inviting us to uh make

[2:29:20] this presentation. So, I think you've

[2:29:22] got our application in front of you. I

[2:29:23] don't think I'll take your full 10

[2:29:25] minutes because I wasn't really prepared

[2:29:26] to make a presentation. I thought I was

[2:29:28] just answering some questions, but I am

[2:29:30] happy to um provide a little bit of

[2:29:32] information on what we're requesting.

[2:29:34] So, um I don't know if anybody's aware

[2:29:36] of the Tuxeda Island um pottery studio.

[2:29:39] So, it's located in the basement of the

[2:29:42] school. Um we are a facility that runs

[2:29:45] under the Tuxeda Arts and Culture and

[2:29:48] Tourism um society on the island. So um

[2:29:51] they are uh they are this the society

[2:29:56] act under which we we operate. Um we

[2:29:59] have I believe around 20 active members

[2:30:03] at this point. We've had about 40 total

[2:30:06] um users in the past year. Uh we've been

[2:30:10] operating since uh 2019

[2:30:13] um in different kind of capacities. Uh

[2:30:16] so right now our project is that we're

[2:30:17] trying to do is uh expand our wheels,

[2:30:20] our pottery throwing wheels. Um so right

[2:30:23] now we have three current wheels. We've

[2:30:26] purchased one more for four and we're

[2:30:28] looking to add another to our studio. Um

[2:30:32] so we have recently done a fundraiser at

[2:30:36] the Tuxedo Home and Gardens and we were

[2:30:38] able to uh collect I think just over

[2:30:40] $1,000 there. I'm not too sure if that's

[2:30:42] gross or net yet. Um, so we're hoping

[2:30:44] with this uh remaining contribution that

[2:30:46] we'd be able to purchase the final wheel

[2:30:49] and then offer some more in the way of

[2:30:51] wheel throwing classes u for both

[2:30:54] members and and maybe at some point

[2:30:56] students of the school if they're if

[2:30:58] they're at that capacity.

[2:31:03] » Great. Thank you very much. Uh do we

[2:31:06] have any questions from the committee

[2:31:09] and I see Director McCormack?

[2:31:11] >> Thank you. Um, and thank you Erica for

[2:31:14] » Thank you. Um, and thank you Erica for

[2:31:14] your presentation. Um, will you be open

[2:31:16] more days a week? Um, with the

[2:31:18] additional wheels and the capacity in

[2:31:22] increases obviously each time you're

[2:31:24] open, but um, with more people comes

[2:31:28] more demand and it then it becomes a bit

[2:31:29] of a snowball. So, are you intending to

[2:31:32] open um, additional days?

[2:31:34] >> We can. We have. We've had um, we've had

[2:31:37] » We can. We have. We've had um, we've had

[2:31:37] more openings per week previously, but

[2:31:38] we just didn't find that we had enough

[2:31:40] people coming. Um, so yeah, of course. I

[2:31:43] mean, it could it could mean that we

[2:31:45] have more of a rationale for opening u

[2:31:48] more than we currently do. Right now,

[2:31:49] we're Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

[2:31:53] um for open studio time. But yeah, I

[2:31:56] don't think that um we have the

[2:31:58] volunteer base there that's interested

[2:32:00] in opening the space. So yeah,

[2:32:04] >> thank you.

[2:32:05] » thank you.

[2:32:05] >> There any other question? See, and I'll

[2:32:08] » There any other question? See, and I'll

[2:32:08] just mention, you know, and this is not

[2:32:09] really a question, but the uh Luski

[2:32:11] Island, the Luski Island Arts Council is

[2:32:13] building a pottery studio on Luski. So,

[2:32:15] maybe there's a future opportunity for

[2:32:17] connections between the two guilds

[2:32:20] >> or so. So, uh I don't know when it'll be

[2:32:23] » or so. So, uh I don't know when it'll be

[2:32:23] open, but it's coming up. Building's

[2:32:24] getting finished, and they won't have

[2:32:26] that many wheels, but they'll have, I

[2:32:27] think, three or something.

[2:32:29] >> Awesome.

[2:32:31] » Awesome.

[2:32:31] >> Okay. So, uh, I don't see any other

[2:32:33] » Okay. So, uh, I don't see any other

[2:32:33] hands up. So, I will thank you for

[2:32:36] coming before us and presenting and

[2:32:38] we'll consider the application when at

[2:32:40] at a future meeting.

[2:32:42] >> Okay. Wonderful. Thanks for having me

[2:32:43] » Okay. Wonderful. Thanks for having me

[2:32:43] here.

[2:32:46] » So, uh, item 315, Gary Schilling,

[2:32:49] executive director, Cath Film Society.

[2:32:52] And if Mr. Schilling looks like he's in

[2:32:54] the audience, so thank you for coming

[2:32:56] before us. And the floor is yours for 10

[2:32:58] minutes and then we'll have an

[2:32:59] opportunity for questions. Thank you,

[2:33:01] chair. Uh, thank you, directors. Um, I

[2:33:04] figure digestion is just kind of

[2:33:06] happening right now for those lunches

[2:33:08] and everyone.

[2:33:11] >> No one's doing any kind of snoozing, so

[2:33:14] » No one's doing any kind of snoozing, so

[2:33:14] we're we're all still good. Um, I always

[2:33:17] appreciate opportunity to speak. I'm

[2:33:18] more of a off-the- cuff speaker type

[2:33:20] person than a writing it on paper.

[2:33:22] You've got my paper in front of you.

[2:33:24] And, uh, uh, I've been leading the film

[2:33:26] society since, uh, 2014. We're a

[2:33:28] charitable uh nonprofit with education

[2:33:32] as our core mandate. Um as owners of the

[2:33:35] Patricia Theater, we provide year-round

[2:33:38] entertainment to the community. And as a

[2:33:40] film society, we have four major events

[2:33:42] that we do through the year. Uh the

[2:33:44] International Film Festival that we do

[2:33:46] in March, the three years indigenous

[2:33:49] film festival that we do in September,

[2:33:51] National Canadian Film Day which happens

[2:33:53] in April, and our youth camp which is

[2:33:55] coming up in August. than what I'm here

[2:33:58] to talk to you about. Um it's our 14th

[2:34:01] year of our film camp. Um each year we

[2:34:03] take in 30 students and uh we believe

[2:34:07] there's a actually it's been shown that

[2:34:09] there is a strong connection between

[2:34:11] media literacy and uh mental health,

[2:34:14] self-confidence and good community

[2:34:15] relations. And uh anyone who's paying

[2:34:18] attention to what's going on in the

[2:34:19] world, media literacy becomes more and

[2:34:21] more important uh in the world. And uh

[2:34:25] so the camp I think is a tremendous

[2:34:27] opportunity for students to for campers

[2:34:30] who are students mostly uh to learn uh

[2:34:33] what it's like to collaborate, what it's

[2:34:35] like to tell a story, what it's like to

[2:34:38] work as a team and uh make make media.

[2:34:42] So um

[2:34:44] the camp not only provides a a place for

[2:34:46] the youth to get together but it's also

[2:34:48] an opportunity for our film

[2:34:50] professionals to mentor youth uh stretch

[2:34:53] their skills. Uh we have five mentors

[2:34:57] local filmmakers who will work with us

[2:34:58] this summer confirmed and they are

[2:35:01] assisted by production assistants who

[2:35:03] are often uh recent graduates from high

[2:35:06] school. Some of them have attended our

[2:35:08] film camp in the past and they move on

[2:35:10] to uh develop uh their skills. The camp

[2:35:14] culminates in a screening at the

[2:35:15] Patricia where the kids get to see their

[2:35:17] films on the big screen. Community comes

[2:35:20] out to watch those films and uh they

[2:35:23] also get a chance to present their films

[2:35:25] and and get a sense of what that uh that

[2:35:28] means. Um each year we uh we give a

[2:35:31] theme to our film camp. Um, this year's

[2:35:33] theme is uh this year's theme asks the

[2:35:36] question, what's your idea of a perfect

[2:35:38] world and uh they often have amaze us in

[2:35:42] the things that they come up with. Um, I

[2:35:44] hesitate to bring video to play here

[2:35:46] because I've noticed video plays

[2:35:47] terrible in this room. Um, so I

[2:35:50] encourage you to go to our website

[2:35:52] cadetfilm.ca

[2:35:54] under the youth tab. Uh we've just

[2:35:56] opened our applications for the film

[2:35:58] camp for this year and we have sample

[2:36:00] videos from uh the previous years. It's

[2:36:03] it's really a joy to see them come alive

[2:36:07] uh in this process. Um funding for the

[2:36:10] film camp is already confirmed. We've

[2:36:12] got the city of Pal River funding us

[2:36:14] through uh the arts council and the PR

[2:36:17] community foundation has supported us.

[2:36:19] We're still waiting on our primary funer

[2:36:22] BC Gaming. the film camp will go ahead

[2:36:25] uh with or without funding and it will

[2:36:27] continue to be free. Um we don't get

[2:36:30] funding. It just stretches our our

[2:36:32] resources the the amount of base funding

[2:36:35] that we have my comfort zone you know

[2:36:38] lessons and my grant writing which gets

[2:36:41] uh increases but uh I hope that you will

[2:36:44] consider [clears throat] us. Um, I

[2:36:46] appreciate the funding that we've had in

[2:36:48] the past and support that we've had for

[2:36:50] our film festival and for our film camp.

[2:36:53] And um, that's really about it for me.

[2:36:57] I'm happy to answer any questions you

[2:36:58] might have.

[2:37:00] >> Thank you very much. Uh, I will look

[2:37:03] » Thank you very much. Uh, I will look

[2:37:03] around the room, see if anyone might

[2:37:04] have a question. Director Southkot, I

[2:37:07] saw you this time.

[2:37:11] » Dramatic. um

[2:37:13] working with young people uh

[2:37:15] particularly encouraging critical

[2:37:17] thinking. I would imagine that's an

[2:37:20] interest of yours too personally. But

[2:37:22] how does that come into the film camp in

[2:37:25] terms of

[2:37:27] their work?

[2:37:30] Well, um the Billcap begins with uh

[2:37:34] exercises where they get together and

[2:37:38] figure out how to work what working

[2:37:39] together means and what uh thinking

[2:37:42] [clears throat] together means. And I

[2:37:43] think by critical thinking um everyone's

[2:37:46] a critic.

[2:37:48] I think thinking in as as a group and

[2:37:51] supporting each other in in the thought

[2:37:54] process and if you've ever been involved

[2:37:56] in brainstorming which is a good part of

[2:37:58] the beginning there's a there's a

[2:38:01] general rule that no ideas are bad and

[2:38:04] that everything must be considered and

[2:38:06] uh how to work together to uh come up

[2:38:10] with something that they can all embrace

[2:38:13] that's important for the the process and

[2:38:16] I think it's also important for um just

[2:38:19] existing in the world today. So it's not

[2:38:21] quite critical thinking necessarily, but

[2:38:23] uh it's critically important to uh the

[2:38:28] uh process of dialogue, I think, which

[2:38:31] is really what I think the film camp's

[2:38:33] about.

[2:38:34] >> Sounds like critical thinking to me.

[2:38:36] » Sounds like critical thinking to me.

[2:38:36] Thank you.

[2:38:36] >> Okay.

[2:38:38] » Okay.

[2:38:38] >> Thank you. Are there any other questions

[2:38:40] » Thank you. Are there any other questions

[2:38:40] from around the table? I don't see any.

[2:38:43] So, thank you for sticking it out to

[2:38:45] near the end of the meeting and uh

[2:38:46] presenting to us in person and uh we'll

[2:38:48] take your application and comments into

[2:38:51] consideration when it comes before us.

[2:38:53] >> Thank you so much. Appreciate

[2:38:58] » Okay, we have a a late delegation. We'll

[2:39:01] call it 316, which is Rob Tisdoll,

[2:39:04] Powell River Salmon Society. And I

[2:39:06] understand Rob's in the room. So Rob, uh

[2:39:10] you when when you're when you're ready,

[2:39:12] yeah, you you can present for 10 minutes

[2:39:14] and then uh we may have some questions

[2:39:16] for you.

[2:39:18] >> Thank you.

[2:39:22] » Uh thank you for inviting us here today.

[2:39:26] U I didn't know if I was going to make

[2:39:28] it

[2:39:29] here. So uh we've had another good year

[2:39:33] with the Salmon Society. uh we were able

[2:39:35] to uh make our collections eggs in the

[2:39:39] fall and uh we got some extra eggs from

[2:39:42] uh the island for spring salmon as well.

[2:39:46] So we had a a good a good egg take and

[2:39:51] good survival and I had a little

[2:39:55] handout. I don't know if you got this or

[2:39:56] not. Did you get

[2:39:58] >> Yeah. So it explains how many salmon we

[2:40:01] » Yeah. So it explains how many salmon we

[2:40:01] let go this last uh this last last

[2:40:03] month.

[2:40:04] uh 349,000 spring salmon, 368,000 chum

[2:40:10] salmon, and 229

[2:40:12] thin clipped coal. Uh we're very proud

[2:40:15] of that because uh for two years in a

[2:40:18] row now, we've been clipping our cohole

[2:40:20] and yeah, we're pretty happy with that.

[2:40:24] Anyhow, um

[2:40:27] uh what we're requesting this year are

[2:40:30] funds to do

[2:40:33] normal

[2:40:35] uh replacements

[2:40:37] uh for some of our equipment, our some

[2:40:39] of our water uh uh measuring equipment

[2:40:43] that we have. Uh we we're really

[2:40:45] fortunate to have

[2:40:47] uh information, scientific information

[2:40:50] on our watershed going back to the

[2:40:53] 1990s. uh the

[2:40:58] uh program that conducted

[2:41:01] there's three of us involved. There's

[2:41:03] the community forest and there's the

[2:41:06] fisheries

[2:41:08] with the salmon society. Uh and u

[2:41:14] who else is involved in that? City.

[2:41:17] [clears throat]

[2:41:17] >> So anyways, we get we get all of our our

[2:41:19] » So anyways, we get we get all of our our

[2:41:19] water information every year. So we're

[2:41:22] replacing some equipment there and uh

[2:41:25] doing some work uh around uh Lang Bay,

[2:41:30] an operation that we have in Lang Bay

[2:41:31] where uh we have lots of school kids

[2:41:34] coming out and so uh we're we're putting

[2:41:37] in better walkways and getting rid of

[2:41:40] some danger trees, things of that

[2:41:42] nature. uh and just some normal

[2:41:45] maintenance that we're doing uh at

[2:41:48] length after uh two years. We've had uh

[2:41:52] two years of uh construction work that

[2:41:54] we have been going on uh uh this this

[2:41:59] spring. Uh we've uh uh done some work

[2:42:02] out at Duck Lake uh uh for fixing up uh

[2:42:07] the roofs and and storage shed out

[2:42:11] there. And uh the year before uh we did

[2:42:14] uh a major $160,000

[2:42:18] project of uh adding on

[2:42:22] room at the end of the building and now

[2:42:25] we have actually have a boardroom now

[2:42:27] that we can sit down and talk about

[2:42:29] this. Anyways, uh so with those things

[2:42:33] out of the way, now we're looking at

[2:42:35] just

[2:42:37] doing some fiddling up

[2:42:39] things ship shape.

[2:42:42] So,

[2:42:45] » we're [clears throat] here uh to ask for

[2:42:47] some help. Thank you very much.

[2:42:50] >> Thank you very much. And we and we do

[2:42:51] » Thank you very much. And we and we do

[2:42:51] have your application in the FYI section

[2:42:54] was attached to the agenda. So, we we've

[2:42:55] seen the application in fact of all

[2:42:58] groups that have have applied including

[2:43:00] those that weren't officially on the

[2:43:02] registered delegation. So, thank you. I

[2:43:04] will see I see director Gizbborne has a

[2:43:06] question.

[2:43:07] >> Uh thank you, chair. I have a question

[2:43:10] » Uh thank you, chair. I have a question

[2:43:10] and it's a little similar to one I think

[2:43:11] I asked many years ago. I'm taking a

[2:43:14] look at the um statement of revenues and

[2:43:17] expenditures and under revenues it shows

[2:43:19] government of Canada Department of

[2:43:21] Fisheries and Oceans 2024 at 213,000 and

[2:43:25] then 2025 244,000

[2:43:28] and I oh I can't remember what year it

[2:43:30] was but I asked about you know

[2:43:32] increasing the funding um from DFO and I

[2:43:34] had heard at the time that DFO had not

[2:43:37] done any increase in funding in several

[2:43:39] decades but seeing that it looks like

[2:43:41] there is an increase in funding Is that

[2:43:44] uh is that like a oneoff thing uh to to

[2:43:46] go from 213 to 244? I don't have the

[2:43:49] previous year budgets in front of me or

[2:43:51] uh like is is DFO going to continue to

[2:43:54] increase their support uh in finances

[2:43:57] >> or or have I learned something here?

[2:44:00] » or or have I learned something here?

[2:44:00] >> Jumping back to uh 188 is it that they

[2:44:03] » Jumping back to uh 188 is it that they

[2:44:03] normally normally get every year from

[2:44:07] but [clears throat] there was uh there

[2:44:09] was some funds that they they kicked in.

[2:44:11] Uh, I thought it was around $40,000 that

[2:44:14] they had kicked in

[2:44:16] >> extra and that's a one of and we're not

[2:44:19] » extra and that's a one of and we're not

[2:44:20] able to depend upon that anymore. We're

[2:44:22] still expecting our $188,000

[2:44:24] that we've been getting since 1982.

[2:44:28] >> Yeah, that that seems to be the number I

[2:44:31] » Yeah, that that seems to be the number I

[2:44:31] um I recall. Uh, and it just it just

[2:44:35] baffles my mind that the number is

[2:44:37] essentially unchanged since, you know,

[2:44:39] before I was born. uh that they they've

[2:44:42] kind of kept it the same. So, uh I I

[2:44:45] really wish the federal government would

[2:44:47] take, you know, they say they take

[2:44:48] fisheries seriously and then they kind

[2:44:50] of freeze the funding for longer than

[2:44:52] I've been alive. Thank you. That's my

[2:44:54] question.

[2:44:56] >> Yeah. Thank Thank you, Director Lennox.

[2:44:59] » Yeah. Thank Thank you, Director Lennox.

[2:44:59] >> Thanks for coming and seeing us. Uh

[2:45:03] » Thanks for coming and seeing us. Uh

[2:45:03] [clears throat] I I think I understand

[2:45:04] the project and appreciate you

[2:45:06] especially taking care of danger trees

[2:45:08] and things like that with all of our

[2:45:09] little ones. uh going to the salmon

[2:45:12] races as we call it. Uh I guess my

[2:45:15] question is more focused on I was able

[2:45:17] to do some clipping this year which is

[2:45:18] amazing at the Paul River hatchery and

[2:45:22] I'm just wondering um is that you know

[2:45:25] you mentioned that sort of we've been

[2:45:27] doing better the last little while in

[2:45:28] clipping and releasing last couple

[2:45:30] years. you know, is there anything that

[2:45:33] we can do to support that as well?

[2:45:35] Because, you know, those fish are are

[2:45:36] important to be clipped so we know what,

[2:45:38] you know, heading out there and what's

[2:45:40] returning.

[2:45:41] >> Right. Right.

[2:45:42] » Right. Right.

[2:45:42] >> So, do we need to kind of support that

[2:45:44] » So, do we need to kind of support that

[2:45:44] in any way or push anybody?

[2:45:46] >> Well, the machines are expensive if you

[2:45:49] » Well, the machines are expensive if you

[2:45:49] want to get a machine. So, you're

[2:45:50] talking

[2:45:51] >> like a counting machines, right?

[2:45:53] » like a counting machines, right?

[2:45:53] >> They they actually do the clipping

[2:45:55] » They they actually do the clipping

[2:45:55] machines that do the clip clipping. And

[2:45:57] there are two machines

[2:45:59] >> that the fisheries have. One is

[2:46:02] » that the fisheries have. One is

[2:46:02] portable. It's on a truck that they

[2:46:04] drive it around, but they have a hard

[2:46:06] time getting on the ferry.

[2:46:09] And the other and the other one is is

[2:46:12] stationary, but I don't know where

[2:46:14] they're keeping that what they're doing

[2:46:16] with that right now. Uh so uh unless

[2:46:20] we're able to find ourselves a million

[2:46:23] dollars somewhere or several million to

[2:46:27] buy a machine, we're going to be doing

[2:46:29] it by hand. Yeah. Yeah,

[2:46:31] >> be there next year. Thanks.

[2:46:32] » be there next year. Thanks.

[2:46:32] [clears throat]

[2:46:33] >> Well, thanks. We uh great great

[2:46:37] » Well, thanks. We uh great great

[2:46:37] community efforts to to help us out.

[2:46:39] Yeah.

[2:46:42] >> Thank you. Uh before I see if anyone

[2:46:44] » Thank you. Uh before I see if anyone

[2:46:44] else has questions, I see director

[2:46:45] Gizborn has a second question, so I will

[2:46:47] recognize Director Gizbborne. Go ahead.

[2:46:49] >> Uh thank you, Chair. And I I forgot to

[2:46:52] » Uh thank you, Chair. And I I forgot to

[2:46:52] ask another question. Uh when I took a

[2:46:54] look at your application, it says,

[2:46:55] "Which area does your initiative

[2:46:57] benefit?" And I only see a check mark

[2:47:00] for area B. And um as I understood, your

[2:47:04] organization and the grant kind of

[2:47:06] benefits the greater region because of

[2:47:07] course the fish do end up out in the

[2:47:09] ocean where we all like to fish it. So

[2:47:12] is your ask uh that the funding come

[2:47:15] from just area B or is your ask to to

[2:47:17] come from like a broader uh subset of

[2:47:20] taxpayers because area B doesn't

[2:47:22] typically have a lot of money.

[2:47:24] >> Oh, don't know. [laughter] Yeah,

[2:47:27] » Oh, don't know. [laughter] Yeah,

[2:47:27] >> wherever the more wherever the most

[2:47:29] » wherever the more wherever the most

[2:47:29] amount of money is.

[2:47:33] » I wish I had filled out the form so I

[2:47:35] can answer your question.

[2:47:37] >> Maybe I could rephrase the questions

[2:47:38] » Maybe I could rephrase the questions

[2:47:38] that be more constructive or be

[2:47:40] constructive for our deliberations. The

[2:47:43] the would would the the benefit from

[2:47:45] this only benefit the people from area B

[2:47:47] or would it benefit people from the

[2:47:49] broader regional district?

[2:47:53] » That should be an easy question, but

[2:47:55] >> yeah. [laughter]

[2:47:56] » yeah. [laughter]

[2:47:56] area. You'll have to you'll have to uh

[2:48:00] inform me about what is area B

[2:48:02] >> exactly.

[2:48:03] » exactly.

[2:48:03] >> Oh, I'm sorry. So, right. So, area B is

[2:48:05] » Oh, I'm sorry. So, right. So, area B is

[2:48:05] is basically the area just south of the

[2:48:08] city city boundary. Uh

[2:48:10] >> to Whan Road, uh so it doesn't even get

[2:48:12] » to Whan Road, uh so it doesn't even get

[2:48:12] to the hatchery. It's Whan Road, Paris

[2:48:15] Valley, Burr Rock to the city.

[2:48:18] >> We're we're we're speaking to the the

[2:48:20] » We're we're we're speaking to the the

[2:48:20] broad regional district.

[2:48:23] >> Yes.

[2:48:23] » Yes.

[2:48:23] >> Yeah. Yeah, that's what we all I think

[2:48:24] » Yeah. Yeah, that's what we all I think

[2:48:24] all expected. I think it doesn't

[2:48:27] >> I mean even if this this the fish are

[2:48:29] » I mean even if this this the fish are

[2:48:29] coming from a river from a particular

[2:48:32] area of the regional district, they they

[2:48:34] go out in the ocean and

[2:48:35] >> yeah, we try to catch them on their way

[2:48:36] » yeah, we try to catch them on their way

[2:48:36] past line. So [laughter]

[2:48:39] >> yeah,

[2:48:41] » yeah,

[2:48:41] they don't get back there. So anyways,

[2:48:42] um yes, I think that that just addresses

[2:48:44] this. It's more of a technical thing

[2:48:46] we'll be discri discussing when the

[2:48:48] application comes to the uh board

[2:48:51] because where director Gizborn's getting

[2:48:52] at is if it was funding just from area B

[2:48:54] we may not have the funding. Okay. So uh

[2:48:58] >> we do know that is they're even asking

[2:49:00] » we do know that is they're even asking

[2:49:00] now about uh uh

[2:49:04] putting up nets down that way. So, they

[2:49:07] need be helped

[2:49:11] by the by the uh fish the work that we

[2:49:15] do because they're going there's going

[2:49:17] to be a a fishery out of Lang Creek

[2:49:22] somewhere along the line it sounds like.

[2:49:24] So,

[2:49:26] we'll have to keep raising

[2:49:27] >> and that's an area C if you want to get

[2:49:29] » and that's an area C if you want to get

[2:49:29] the letters. Uh

[2:49:31] so, um south of area B. But thank you.

[2:49:34] Thank you for uh delegating to us. uh in

[2:49:37] person. We have the application. We'll

[2:49:39] be considering it uh at a future finance

[2:49:42] committee meeting.

[2:49:43] >> Thank you very much.

[2:49:44] » Thank you very much.

[2:49:44] >> Okay. Thanks everyone who's delegated to

[2:49:47] » Okay. Thanks everyone who's delegated to

[2:49:47] all delegates. Uh I think let's just get

[2:49:49] to my agenda here. Uh I don't believe

[2:49:52] are there any other late delegations? I

[2:49:55] don't think so. So uh corporate officer.

[2:49:59] >> No, I was just going to say we haven't

[2:50:00] » No, I was just going to say we haven't

[2:50:00] had any communications to that effect,

[2:50:02] chair. So we're okay to

[2:50:04] >> Okay. Excellent. So, uh, question

[2:50:06] » Okay. Excellent. So, uh, question

[2:50:06] period.

[2:50:10] » Uh, hello chair Golinsky from the peak

[2:50:12] here. Um, I am wondering, uh, through

[2:50:15] you to the, uh, general manager of, uh,

[2:50:18] financial administration what the total

[2:50:20] budget for grants and aid is with the

[2:50:22] QRD.

[2:50:24] >> Okay. Is Miss Green on the call here?

[2:50:27] » Okay. Is Miss Green on the call here?

[2:50:28] She is. So, Miss Greenan, um, would you

[2:50:30] be able to address that?

[2:50:33] >> Yes. Thank you, chair. through the

[2:50:35] » Yes. Thank you, chair. through the

[2:50:35] share. Um the total budget is $264,000

[2:50:39] for 2026

[2:50:41] and there are some um allocations that

[2:50:44] are have already been um approved

[2:50:46] through agreements. So the balance

[2:50:48] available is $155,719.

[2:50:53] » I thank the general manager financial

[2:50:55] administration uh for that response. Uh

[2:50:57] that is for all of 2026 then the spring

[2:51:01] and fall allocations.

[2:51:02] >> That's correct.

[2:51:04] » That's correct.

[2:51:04] Uh those are my questions. Chair, thank

[2:51:06] you very much.

[2:51:07] >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Glinsky. And I

[2:51:09] » Okay. Thank you, Mr. Glinsky. And I

[2:51:09] unless there's anyone else in the room

[2:51:11] who has a question, which I don't

[2:51:13] believe the the the room the chairs now

[2:51:15] seem quite empty. Uh we there's no in

[2:51:17] camera agenda. We're adjourned.

Special Finance Committee - 01 Jun 2026

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