The Village of Telkwa has said yes to a request from the area Royal Canadian Legion, branch 63 for money, but will find the money elsewhere in their accounts instead of the grants-in-aid one.
The proposed project would see Telkwa get a new cenotaph.
Looking for $2,000 in this application, the Legion would create a two-phased project. The first phase would be the basic construction of a concrete base with a bronze cast plaque on the base.
The money that was requested through the grant-in-aid account would go towards this first phase.
The second phase would be the addition of a bronze statue for the top of the base.
It is not yet known where the new monument would go and in the application the Legion said that they would have public meetings to discuss the cenotaph and its new location.
Councillor Rimas Zitkauskas asked how much phase two would cost, but Legion President Rick Fuerst, also a Telkwa councillor, said he didn’t know but he did have requests for quotes sent out.
However when asked if phase one could stand on its own, Fuerst said it would. As he envisions it, phase two would just build on the first phase.
Telkwa’s councillors — minus Fuerst who stepped out due to the conflict of interest after the questions ended — were surprised to hear from the Village’s Director of Finance Stacey Price that the grant-in-aid monies available were only $1,950 for the year.
Councillors were in favour of the project but thought there may be other funding sources from within the Village for the project instead.
Zitkauskas suggested taking the money from the Special Projects accounts.
He said there is nothing wrong with saying they’ll commit the money and work in partnership, and motioned as such.
A motion to commit to providing money, but not out of grants-in-aid, was made and passed unanimously by the attending councillors.
