City funding to the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin is being increased by $24,000 a year for the next two years to alleviate some of the stress caused by last summer’s relocation to the Tourism Discovery Centre.
The fee-for-service amount will be in addition to the $35,000 per year the museum presently receives through the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture function, jointly from the City and the Cariboo Regional District.
“We want to help the museum get over a rough patch caused by us forcing them to move,” Mayor Walt Cobb said during Tuesday’s regular council meeting where council voted unanimously in favour of the increased funding.
Joe Borsato, museum co-ordinator told the Tribune the museum is very pleased to see the City providing the additional funding.
“We are happy that they are willing to work with us and see the museum and heritage community of Williams Lake really succeed,” Borsato said Wednesday. “It’s just really good news for us.”
In May of 2017, the City sold the museum property on Fourth Avenue North to Vantage Living. Vantage had secured the contract to build a new care-bed facility in Williams Lake and used the former museum site to house Jubilee House.
Read more: Museum move underway in Williams Lake
Vitali Kozubenko, chief financial officer, noted in a report to council the city covered 50 per cent of the $252,000 cost to move the museum to the TDC, while the other half was covered by a grant from the province.
“This amount covered the relocation of the museum and transitional funding for one year,” he noted.
“The City provided $25,000 through one-year fee-for-service agreement and claimed it against the grant.”
Coun. Scott Nelson said after receiving the request from the museum during a committee of the whole meeting, council felt the additional funding was warranted.
“Volunteers from the museum gave compelling reasons for the increase. We looked at both the short-term and the long-term and felt that a two-year uptake would be helpful to allow them to get through this transition and get a long-term game plan in place,” Nelson said.
Bonnell put forth a second resolution that the Central Cariboo Joint Committee be advised of the decision, which was approved by council.
Read more: Museum of Cariboo Chilcotin plans for future exhibits after grand opening
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