$50,000 grant from Northern Development supports small community in northeastern B.C.
The community of Toad River celebrated the construction of a wheelchair ramp leading to a covered deck on the front of their community hall in July 2018. For the community of 50 people, Northern Development’s grant of $50,000 was crucial in making these facility improvements a reality.
“The community hall deck extension project has not only greatly enhanced the look and feel of our primary community meeting and gathering facility, but it has made the hall much more useable for the warmer half of the year when covered outside space is desired and practical,” said Randy McLean, treasurer for the Toad River Area Club. “One of the biggest pluses is the sense of community pride that has become associated with the enhanced hall. The post and beam architecture really looks good and it is very appropriate for the beautiful mountain setting in which the hall is located. Another positive feature is the vastly improved accessible ramp which helps to make our community hall accessible to all users.”
These upgrades to Toad River Community Hall provide an enhanced experience for users while also expanding the hall’s hosting capabilities of crews and tourists in the case of emergencies such as road closures, flooding and forest fires.
The increased space is also appreciated by students at nearby Toad River School, who access the hall on a regular basis for physical activity during the winter months and for special school events including Christmas concerts, fundraisers and assemblies.
The Toad River Area Club was able to receive an additional $20,000 above the regular $30,000 grant that is available through the Trust’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program because they are located in the northeast region, are a not-for-profit organization and scored above 60 on the self-assessment tool.
