Fort St. John Co-op donates $50k to community groups for various projects

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Fort St. John Co-operative Association is splitting its $50,000 Community Support Fund between six applicants — three in Fort St. John and three in Fort Nelson.

Co-op donated $5,000 to the Fort St. John and Area Senior’s Care Foundation. President Roxanne Chmelyk says the funding will go towards the foundation’s reach-out and better-at-home programs.

“It’s just helping them to stay in their own homes longer and keeping them comfortable there,” Chmelyk said.

Chmelyk thanked the local Co-op for their contribution and continued support.

“Without their continued support, we wouldn’t be able to do the things that we do in order for the seniors to have a comfortable and secure environment,” Chmelyk said.

Abbeyfield House of Fort St. John received $4,500 from the fund, earmarked to replace the house’s kitchen counters.

Don Smith, a board member of the house, says the countertops are starting to show some “wear and tear.”

“This money will cover approximately half of the cost to replace the countertops and the new plumbing and electrical that’s in that area,” Smith said.

The Peace Senior Connect and Care Society also received $5,000. The society’s president, Rita Schonewille, says the board has all sorts of ideas for what the fund could go towards, which will be discussed at the next meeting.

“Because it needs to be a decision that we all make together,” Schonewille said.

“Our list is long, but we can’t do it all, but we want to do as many as we possibly can — $5,000 is going to go a long way.”

The largest donation, $29,500, was given to the Fort Nelson Senior Citizen Housing Society, which Co-op says will be used to renovate its seniors housing complex.

The Fort Nelson Snow Mobile Club received $4,000, which vice president Gary Mallay says will be used to purchase 12 new solar batteries for shelters on the club’s trails.

The last $2,000 was donated to the Northern Rockies Child Development Association to support their programs.

Applications for the funding, which is in its third year, were accepted in October 2023.