A number of community events and projects will receive municipal funding, as Chatham-Kent council has approved spending $460,000 through the Together CK grant program.
A committee made up of Chatham-Kent staff and citizens recommended spending close to $412,000 on various events and community projects, but Mayor Darrin Canniff made an argument to spend more, noting that not much money was used from the Together CK grant program reserves in the past few years due to COVID-19 restrictions and closings. He said the Together CK program currently has a healthy reserve.
Council agreed to spend an additional $48,639 to top up grants for events and projects by increasing the recommended amounts of grants by 10 percent across the board of events and projects that didn’t receive 90 percent of their request.
Canniff also suggested having the Dresden Night Market combine both their winter and summer events so that they are considered a significant event, which would provide an extra $10,000 of municipal grant money for the Night Market.
Council agreed with Canniff’s suggestions and voted to add the extra money to the grant program.
Overall, this year’s Together CK grants are funding five significant events, 29 community events and 26 various community projects.
“It has helped sustain, create and maintain a number of events. It helps with infrastructure and non-profits. It’s a very valuable program,” Canniff said.
Over the 24 years since the inception of this community program, the Together CK Municipal Grant Program has supported 367 events and 500 projects, spending over $5 million.
