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$60,000 grant for Give Us A Lift project
It was with great excitement that Kimberley Arts Council staff and board members received the announcement by the BC Gaming Branch on December 20 that the arts council has been awarded a $60,000 Capital Project Grant for the installation of an elevator to the theatre.
“This is a wonderful Christmas present,” said Give Us A Lift campaign chair Carol Fergus. “In combination with the federal heritage department grant of $75,000 already received and approximately $30,000 raised through generous donations and event revenues for the Give Us A Lift campaign, as well as the in-kind grant from the City of Kimberley, we are now in a position to complete the project.”
The installation of an elevator to the upper floor theatre will make it accessible to all. Mobility impaired patrons and those with other health problems that prevent them climbing the several staircases to the theatre will now be able to attend productions and activities in the theatre. These include the ever popular HomeGrown coffeehouses, play productions by Off Centre Players and Turner & Adler Productions, and touring performances, concerts, slide-show travelogues, film shows and more.
“Not only are we grateful to the Department of Canadian Heritage and the BC Gaming Branch for their support of this project, but we are indebted to the members of the Kimberley public who have been so enthusiastic and generous in their support,” said arts council president Mike Redfern. “Local building contractors are being contacted for an expression of interest in taking on this project and Cover Architectural Collaborative Inc. of Nelson will be tendering the project for bids early in January. We now hope to see this project completed by the summer.”
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