City council at this week's meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Name change

Sask. Lotteries Community Grant Adjudication Committee sees title, mandate changes

Mar 30, 2023 | 2:06 PM

The City of North Battleford has changed the title and mandate of the Sask. Lotteries Community Grant Adjudication Committee.

The issue was discussed at this week’s council meeting.

Council approved administration’s recommendation to dissolve the Saskatchewan Community Grant Adjudication Committee, and in its place form the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee- effective April 1.

Looking at the background of the committee, based on City Director of Parks and Recreation, Cheryl DeNeire’s report, in February 2019 council approved dissolving the Leisure Services Advisory Committee and creating the Sask. Lotteries Community Grant Adjudication Committee, effective April, 2019.

“The reason for the change was that the committee had been focusing almost exclusively on the adjudication of the grants, due to their importance to community partners and the high volume of applications being received,” DeNeire said. “Since 2019, there has been a reduction in the volume of applications due to COVID, and an increase in the challenges associated to programs and service delivery post-pandemic.”

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She said these two issues have created a need to return the mandate to a Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, which includes the adjudication of the Sask. Lotteries Community Grant Program.

DeNeire said the aim of the Advisory Committee is to engage the community and its youth in an advisement role, to enhance Parks and Recreation opportunities in North Battleford. The objective is also to administer grant applications for Saskatchewan Lotteries on behalf of the City of North Battleford.

Among the new mandates of the newly named committee is to provide a bridge between Parks and Recreation and the youth community of North Battleford. The group will also identify present and future concerns of youth related to Parks and Recreation.

Coun. Kelli Hawtin, who chairs the committee and has been on it for a number of years, said during the post-COVID era, the grant adjudication has shrunk, and the need for that advisement has increased.

“Part of it, as well, is we saw,… I don’t want to say a lack of engagement, but more challenging times keeping our committee members engaged, just dealing with grant applications,” she said.

Hawtin said members on the committee want to be part of shaping Parks and Recreation for the community.

“That’s why people come, and want to be part of that discussion,” she said.

The committee was able to identify a couple of issues it noticed to help make improvements.

Hawtin said some core members really want to be part of “positive change” for user services.

She adds she hopes to have more youth take part in the committee, another part of the group’s mandate.

“Having youth have a voice in our community, sharing what’s important to them – it is important to us as well,” Hawtin said.

Members-at-large and youth representatives will receive annual memberships at the InnovationPlex complex during their term on the committee, as a token honorarium, and to allow them to access and experience the facilities to provide feedback.

Mayor David Gillan agreed with the changes to the committee, and believed it was a positive move for the organization.

“I’m supportive of the direction. I think it’s the right way to go,” he said.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow