The Town of Golden will be upgrading three tennis court playing surfaces with support from the Trust’s Recreation Infrastructure Grants.
Next application deadline: July 11
Whether you enjoy lawn bowling or golf, take to the backcountry on foot, skis or bike, or prefer to hit a tennis ball or pickle ball, dozens of expansions, improvements and new developments to the spaces that keep you moving are on their way. Thanks to Columbia Basin Trust’s Recreation Infrastructure Grants, 42 projects around the region are getting over $3.5 million in support.
The Trust announced the $9-million, three-year program in January 2016. It provides financial support to help communities and groups build new recreation infrastructure or upgrade existing recreation infrastructure.
“We’re pleased to provide grants to such a wide range of projects that will help people stay fit and enjoy where we live,” said Neil Muth, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “Supporting residents to lead active, healthy lifestyles is one of our strategic priorities, and developing the amenities that help them do so is an important step.”
One of the recipients is the Rotary Club of Kimberley. It will be developing the Kimberley Splash Park to provide an aquatic playground for children of all ages and abilities.
“The splash park will offer a safe, inclusive, low-maintenance and free option for residents and tourists to cool off at on hot summer days,” said Sandra Roberts, President. “Children will be able to strengthen their gross motor skills, develop their hand/eye coordination, enjoy water play and learn social skills. Plus we will use low-flow nozzles and have selected each feature with water conservation in mind.”
The Valhalla Hills Nordic Ski Club also received support to construct three kilometres of cross-country ski trails for both classic and skate-skiing techniques. These will be located half-way between New Denver and Nakusp at Summit Lake.
“For many years we’ve run programs on private land and the Rail Trail in Hills, but we found we needed to offer more challenging terrain and be more easily accessible,” said Tim Sander, Club Secretary. “We’ve selected a location with good public access, normally deep snow, diverse terrain and outstanding scenery. The expanded network will provide an opportunity for all ages to engage in an outdoor winter activity that promotes healthful exercise, physical well-being and enhanced confidence.”
Another recipients is the Lister Community Association. It will be upgrading the baseball grounds at Lister Park, including relocating the field, reworking the ground, levelling and reseeding. The project also includes fencing and a new backstop and team dugouts.
“Good recreation facilities provide the means for improving community health,” said Ken Sommerfeld, Director. “This project will allow us to provide a first-class ball field while maintaining the multi-use aspect of the park. We hope to see increased usage of the facility, both through league play and tournaments, and other community functions.”
The Town of Golden will be upgrading three tennis court playing surfaces to improve safety and encourage continued use of the facility by residents and visitors.
“The project includes filling cracks and relevelling the surface to reduce or eliminate surface water ponding, plus applying an enhanced non-slip surface with vibrant new colour,” said Mayor Ron Oszust. “Our goal is to make the tennis courts safer and more enjoyable, extending their life while enticing people to use them more often.”
The granting program’s next intake is now open. The deadline to apply is Monday, July 11, 2016. To learn more and download the guidelines, click here.
To read the full list of approved projects, click here.
