Port Colborne allocates $20K in grants to local organizations
Inclusive hockey training, lighthouse preservation and animal welfare are just a few of the things Port Colborne is investing in by awarding more than $20,000 to five local organizations this spring.
The funding comes from the city's community grant program, which began in 2001 using funds from the sale of Port Colborne Hydro to Canadian Niagara Power.
Since then, a five-member grant allocation committee has reviewed applications twice annually, distributing funds to local non-profits and volunteer groups based on council-approved criteria.
Mayor Bill Steele said this year's first round of funds went to five groups with strong community impact.
'We're proud to present these grants to organizations that are doing meaningful work in Port Colborne,' Steele said during Tuesday's city council meeting.
The largest grant, $5,369, went to Port Colborne Girls Hockey Association , which plans to use the funds to provide professional skating and skills training for girls in the under-7 to under-15 age groups.
A representative speaking on behalf of association president Erica Hutton said the training goes beyond regular practice. She said the more girls are presented with opportunities and support, they more they stay in sport.
Since launching inclusive development programs, the association has seen a 400 per cent increase in membership over the past two seasons.
Port Colborne Optimist Club was awarded $4,000 to support two popular community events: the Canada Day celebration at H.H. Knoll Lakeview Park and the annual Father's Day fishing derby.
Friends of the Port Colborne Lighthouses received $3,600 to install a waterless composting toilet for volunteers and visitors at the historic breakwall lighthouses.
The inner lighthouse, built in 1903, and outer lighthouse built in 1928, were both decommissioned in 2010. Since then, the volunteer-led group has run boat tours to preserve and share the history of the sites.
'It's been a community involvement right from the get-go,' said volunteer Scott Wolfe. 'It's an ongoing operation, but this year I'd like to get every one of you out there because this group is really passionate.'
Port Colborne Feline Initiative, a volunteer-run charity addressing the needs of feral cats, received $4,335. The funds will support trap, neuter, vaccinate and return services for 10 cats, along with subsidized spay and neuter assistance for 10 more pets through its SNAP program.
'We truly appreciate it,' said group resident Debbie Burden. 'We know that (this grant) will help the needs of these feral animals.'
Also, a $3,000 grant was presented to Community Living Port Colborne-Wainfleet. Its grant will help fund life skills programs for youths and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including job-search training and transportation assistance.
'On behalf of Community Living, thank you so very much, this is going to help us out a lot,' Christine Bowers, youth and family support co-ordinator, told councillors.
The city's next grant intake deadline is June 30. Steele encouraged groups to apply early. Application forms and eligibility criteria are available on the city's
website
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Saturday concert in Northampton to aid Palestinian school
NORTHAMPTON — On Saturday, there will be a free, public concert from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence at 220 Main St. to raise money needed for the Sumud School in north Gaza. The Sumud School was founded by Enaam Sakallah, an English teacher who was displaced from Gaza City in October 2023 by Israel's attack on Hamas and Gaza, according to the concert organizers. After more than a year of suffering and struggle, and teaching her own and other children in a tent, Sakallah found a damaged building in north Gaza, cleaned it, and moved the school into it. Sumud School — 'sumud' means steadfastness in Arabic — now has a student body of 350 and 15 teachers. Concert organizers Demilitarize Western Massachusetts, Jewish Voice for Peace Western Massachusetts and Valley Families for Palestine are working with Northampton's Ruth Moushabeck to raise funds for the school's critical needs. Moushabeck created Friends of Sumud School and a GoFundMe to aid in the effort. 'The school is incredible,' Moushabeck said in a statement. 'It's run in a normal way. They do science, they do art. The children attend in shifts, because the space is small. They have exams and standards, in fact, the school was certified by a school inspector with the Palestine Education Authority. ... The children know that the Father's Day concert is being organized on their behalf and they are very excited about it.' The benefit concert will feature Connecticut River Valley singers, poets and bands. Because of likely rain showers, the concert will be held indoors in the Great Hall of the Unitarian Society. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
A miracle in seat 11A: What we know about the sole survivor of Air India crash Vishwash Kumar Ramesh
It seemed impossible, but shortly after news broke that an Air India flight had crashed in the city of Ahmedabad, video started circulating on social media showing a man walking from the scene in a bloodstained shirt. Then, it emerged there was one survivor: a British national of Indian origin, identified as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh by the Hindustan Times. 'Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly,' it quoted him as saying in an interview at the hospital where he was being treated. He said he had been visiting family and was returning to the UK with his brother, who had been sitting in a different row. He didn't know if his brother had survived, he said. Air India later confirmed that of the 242 people on board the flight, 241 had died, making Ramesh the sole survivor. His cousin Ajay Valgi told reporters in Leicester, England, that Ramesh had called his family to tell them he's 'fine,' adding that they were upset about his brother and all of the others who died. A doctor told CNN that Ramesh's condition was 'not very critical' and that he could be released in the next couple of days. 'He has some blood in the images, but he's not very badly injured. He is very comfortable and under strict observation, no issues,' said Dr. Rajnish Patel, professor and head of surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Indian news outlets have shared a photo of Ramesh's boarding pass, which indicates that he was in seat 11A of the flight, in the emergency exit row, just in front of the plane's left wing. CNN hasn't independently confirmed the veracity of the photo. CNN safety analyst and former US Federal Aviation Administration safety inspector David Soucie expressed surprise that someone seated at that part of the plane would survive such a crash. That seat is 'right where the spar of the wing would go under and it would be a solid place for the aircraft to hit the ground, but as far as survivability above it, that is incredibly surprising,' he told CNN. Ramesh's survival was described as miraculous by a British member of parliament. 'It's nothing short of a miracle. I have reached out to the family and I'm choosing to respect their privacy at this trying time. But as you may have picked up … one of his brothers was also on that flight who sadly didn't survive,' Shivani Raja, member of parliament for Leicester East, told CNN's Max Foster on Thursday. People inside the BJ Medical College and Hospital hostel were also killed when the plane crashed into it, a senior doctor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where a majority of the dead and injured people were taken, told CNN. The doctor added that t he death toll is likely to rise. Earlier Thursday, Swapnil Bhalodia of the Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network said at least three medical students had died in the crash and another 30 were injured. The plane was headed for London's Gatwick airport and was carrying Indian, British, Canadian and Portuguese nationals. CNN's Elise Hammond and Caitlin Danaher contributed to this post.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
CPW staff confirms wolf pups spotted in Colorado
DENVER (KDVR) — Wolves were reintroduced in the winter of 2023, and wolf pups have been spotted in Colorado for another season. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said staff have seen pups, which are usually born in mid to late April. These sightings mark another season of wolves reproducing in the area after being reintroduced in December 2023. Another Colorado wolf dead, CPW watching 4 potential dens for pups Five wolves were first released in December 2023 to reintroduce the species into Colorado. Since then, more wolves have been reintroduced, including 15 Canadian gray wolves released into Eagle and Pitkin counties in January. Several wolves have died, including a collared wolf that was shot and killed by Wildlife Services in Wyoming during a livestock death mitigation. Amid these deaths, the population is also bringing new pups. CPW said it is now monitoring four den sites in undisclosed areas in Colorado, and the wolves are reproducing. Wildlife officers are starting to get a minimum count of the pups by 'both direct observations and indirect methods.' However, CPW didn't share the exact number, as sightings, especially in the early season, aren't guaranteed. 'Wolves don't take a day off': Kremmling ranchers said wolf reintroduction outpaced preparedness The 'certainty of detection is low,' according to CPW, because of continued denning, moving to rendezvous sites and varied habitats. These aren't the first pups spotted in Colorado. The first gray wolf born since the voter-approved wolf reintroduction was spotted in June of 2024, and then three wolves were videoed playing in Grand County in August 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
