North Battleford councillors heard directly from supporters of the Battlefords Trade and Education Centre at their Planning Committee meeting Monday evening.
Several supporters dressed in yellow BTEC t-shirts filled the gallery in city council chambers as fundraising co-chair Heath Gabruch made his pitch to council asking for the City’s financial support for BTEC’s new building.
BTEC is seeking a commitment of $100,000 from the city, amounting to $10,000 a year over a 10-year period. They are seeking to move to a new facility to be located on Railway Avenue and a fundraising campaign is underway, with a goal of raising $2.3 million within the community for the project.
Gabruch called the project “worthwhile for the community.” The new building would be close to the downtown and would mean the “continuation of a tradition in our community that’s gone on a lot of years.”
He said the committee had “scoured the community” for support and funding requests had gone before the Town of Battleford and surrounding RMs. One RM has committed already for a five-year period, Gabruch said.
However, while councillors seemed encouraging, no final decision on a North Battleford contribution was made Monday. Instead it will come back for a vote at their next full council meeting June 22.
The tender has gone out for the BTEC project and they are waiting for the province to give their blessing in order for that to be awarded. Gabruch indicated construction could begin in mid-July.
A sod-turning ceremony at their Railway Avenue and 105th Street location is scheduled for June 24.
Gabruch told the committee Monday that a couple of funding announcements are planned for that event as well which will bring them “very close” to their fundraising goal.
