THUNDER BAY – The big donations might get the most fanfare, but the small ones can have equally important impacts on the community.
Mark Maranzan, the trail development chair for the Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club, says a little money goes a long way for smaller organizations like his, which on Thursday accepted a $5,000 grant from the Tbaytel for Good program.
The money will be used to develop a trail aimed at younger cyclists, a chance for them to learn the sport on more forgiving terrain in Kinsman Park.
“We’re a not-for-profit and we’ve really been looking at how we can expand mountain biking opportunities here in Thunder Bay. Being a not-for-profit it can be very challenging to come up with capital dollars that are required in order to do projects like this,” Maranzan said.
“The master plan this is all part of is quite an extensive project, so these small chunks we can chew off on our own, as we look for bigger funding avenues, and an opportunity like this with the Tbaytel grant, is a great way for us to showcase the work we’re doing up there and develop a really unique little project.”
Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club was one of five organizations to earn grants through the Tbaytel for Good program.
The grants were voted on by the public and Matawa Learning Centre received 18,822 of the 75,728 votes cast, for their good neighbour program in conjunction with the planned move of their high school into the former Grandview Lodge this fall.
Principal Brad Battiston said the student-driven program will offer up students to shovel driveways and mow lawns in the south-side neighbourhood, as well as hold community feasts and other events to create a more welcoming environment.
“Most of our students have lived in Thunder Bay for a while, but they wanted to create the program to just build that relationship with the neighbourhood. It not only allows them to feel like they’re part of something that’s growing and building, but it’s also meant for future students that will be coming to Thunder Bay,” Battiston said.
The Matawa program was the other $5,000 recipient.
Thunder Bay Giants Barbell Club and McKellar Park School’s activity and academics program received $1,500 grants, while Dryden’s St. Joseph’s School got $500 for its Nutrition on Weekends program and Red Lake residents got an equal amount to for their play to liven up Laverty Park.
Tbaytel’s Laura Foulds said the program is more open than the municipally owned utility’s actual sponsorship program, which means it’s more accessible to more groups.
“A lot of the smaller, grassroots projects didn’t actually see themselves in other funding programs, so they like Tbaytel for Good because it gives them the option that they can do a smaller project that they can maybe manage with a few neighbours or with their group,” Foulds said.
The program will be brought back in the fall, and Foulds said she encourages organizations that might not have been chosen this time around to reapply, as well as first-timers.
