The Town of Battleford has received official confirmation from the province of funds from the Safe Restart Canada Plan.
The Battleford allocation is $264,208. That allocation had been announced in September, but the town received confirmation in a letter from the provincial ministry of Government Relations that the funds have been deposited in the town’s accounts. The money is towards the town’s re-start efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Director of Finance David Gillan told council Monday it was an “unconditional grant” — in other words, it was flexible funding that is not tied to a particular project.
This will go to 2020’s books, Gillan said, but he urged caution when it came to actually spending the money.
“The pandemic is not over. We may even be entering into a second phase now,” said Gillan.
While it would go to 2020’s books, Gillan said the town may need to draw on these funds in 2021, because of “continued pressure on parks and rec revenues”, as well as additional pressures from costs facing the town as well as a reduced municipal operating grant next year. Gillan made the point that the town should not “feast this year and famine next year.”
He suggested to those at the council table to “keep in mind the horizon. This is not over yet.”
