Peace River town council was approached by 10 Acre Shaker Music Festival Society to financially support the initiative’s application to the Canadian Heritage, Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage-Local Festivals grant streams.
“We received a request or inquiry from a community member who is further developing a festival and is applying for a grant,” says director of community services Tanya Bell.
The group has established a non-profit society and is applying to the Canadian Heritage Local Festivals grant for up to $100,000. One of the requirements of the grant is the applicant have support of the local municipality, including monetary support either via a monetary donation or in-kind support with a monetary value.
“Administration conferred to see how we can help with this particular request through our funding systems and the most appropriate path for this request is through the Council’s Grants to Organizations program,” says Bell.
Bell adds they are considering the request as an early intake because the group is applying for a grant that requires funding from other sources. The Canadian Heritage grant has a Jan. 31 deadline, which is why Bell presented the opportunity to provide funding outside of the normal intake timeline.
“It was a very good concert last year and they’re hoping to build on it, I was told it was a Peace Fest with a smalltown feel, where you could go and still talk comfortably enough,” says Mayor Shelly Shannon.
“Another benefit is that they’re using a relatively new property in town and they’re starting to build on that.”
At its Jan. 26 regular meeting, council moved to award the Council Grants to Organizations grant early to the 10 Acre Shaker Music Festival Society in the amount of $5,000.
Council has not set the 2026 budget yet, so total money allocated to the Council Grants to Organizations Grant has not been established.
The program is meant to give the opportunity to various groups in the community to have additional funding to allow them to move forward with some initiatives that may not proceed without funding.
There are three intakes for the grant, March 15, June 15, and Sept. 15.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter