Carla Krens is fed-up with the province after the volunteer, non-profit organization was denied disaster assistance for post-flood restoration of the Red Barn Arts Centre.
Krens says the arts council had applied for about $4,000 through Emergency Management BC’s Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program, under the “Charitable/Volunteer Organization” category, to help repair damage sustained by the Red Barn in the recent flooding.
“It’s not much what we’re asking for, and whatever we don’t get from the disaster fund, we have to raise somewhere else,” says Krens. “This is not within our budget. Where am I going to get the $4,000 from?”
Emergency Management BC, which oversees the DFA program, turned down the arts council’s application.
An Aug. 17 letter from Emergency Management BC recovery officer Mona Smith states, “there is no evidence the Eagle Valley Arts Council is a charitable organization, therefore we regret we are unable to provide you with financial assistance.”
The letter notes the arts council charges a fee to member groups, and for public events, and states that an eligible organization is one that, “in the opinion of the minister, provides a benefit or service to the community at large; has been in existence for 12 months; and is registered under the Society Act.”
Krens asserts the arts council is a volunteer, non-profit organization that has been registered under the BC Society’s Act since 1980.
“We’re definitely non-profit,” says Krens. “Charitable? I don’t know. We’re very charitable to our member groups who we charge $2 an hour for the use of the barn.”
Krens says no one from Emergency Management BC contacted her to explain the income recognized in the letter, which she says was information not provided by her or the arts council.
“ I could have explained that in order to get funding, other grants, you have to generate some of your own revenue,” says Krens. “And that by renting it out and charging rent, we collect about one-quarter to one-third of our revenue for our yearly operating costs. So, I don’t know how that doesn’t make us non-profit. By generating some income, we’re now not charitable?”
Smith’s letter refers to the Compensation and Disaster Financial Assistance Regulation as the basis for the decision. Krens finds the wording in the regulation is ambiguous, in that it clearly uses throughout the words “charitable” and “volunteer” for non-profits, as though they are distinct designations, except when it comes to an actual definition, provided in Section 8.1 where it states, “’charitable or volunteer’ organization means a not for profit charitable organization….” The act, however, fails to provide definitions for the words “charitable” or “volunteer.”
Calls to Smith and Shuswap MLA George Abbott received no reply prior to deadline.
Krens is quick to note how during the recent flooding event, the Red Barn, surrounded in about three-feet of water, featured prominently in television and print news coverage. She says that since the water subsided, volunteers have been busy doing the restoration work on their own, as recommended in the DFA application form.
“The form says here, when putting a claim, go ahead and start work, because we understand you cannot wait…,” says Krens. “You take it all out and then they say they’ll send an evaluator. So I kept track of that too – the volunteers taking everything out, the garbage that had to be taken away.
“I don’t know where in this process we had a voice. The forms were filled out, the evaluator never showed up, they made a judgement on income, therefore you’re not charitable, and you’re done.”
Krens has decided to appeal Emergency Management BC’s decision, though the idea of more paperwork further adds insult to injury.
“I feel just so, just off-handedly put down because we have some income, which absolutely doesn’t follow any rhyme or reason…,” says Krens. “It’s not like we’re not willing to put out our efforts and our money in a lot of cases. We put out our money to buy all this stuff, but that leaves us cash-poor until we get our next grant. In October we get a little bit from the CSRD (Columbia Shuswap Regional District), and we have to keep operating.”
Krens says there’s already much volunteer “sweat equity” invested into the 90-year-old building, and, regardless of the work ahead, she is privileged to help care for the Red Barn for current and future generations.
