Council’s first year using its revised community-grant rules turned into a detailed debate over what counts as “new” and whether grants should be scored by councillors or allocated more evenly. It recommended $51,488 in community grants, shifted the remaining $8,862 to the sponsorship fund, and used $12,300 in council contingency funding for several groups whose ongoing work did not fit the grant rules. Two applications—Choral Evolution and the Sooke Region Communities Health Network—were left for a later council meeting because councillors had conflicts of interest and there was not enough eligible council members to decide them. Staff are to notify applicants and report back with lessons and proposed improvements to the program.
Generated from the recording's captions and the official minutes.
Council adopted the agenda and began the meeting. The chair noted that four councillors were present, enough for quorum.
Routine: approve the agenda for the April 28, 2026 special meeting as presented.
Council moved into Committee of the Whole so members could discuss the 2026 grant applications in a more flexible committee format.
Council would move into Committee of the Whole to discuss the 2026 community grant applications.
Staff presented three ways to allocate the $65,000 community-grant budget: use councillors’ scores, reduce all awards proportionally to fit the budget, or make individual adjustments. Council began with the proportional option, then changed individual amounts. Members disagreed over whether recurring programs met the policy’s “new project” test and whether it was fair for councillors to judge organizations against one another. Some applications were moved out of the grant program and considered instead for sponsorship or contingency funding. Council recommended $51,488 in community grants, moved the remaining $8,862 to the sponsorship fund, approved $5,000 in sponsorships and $12,300 in contingency funding, and directed staff to notify applicants and review the program. It reserved $4,650 for the two applications that could not be considered that day.
The Committee would recommend that Council approve the listed grants totaling $51,488. The amounts range from $0 for applicants receiving no grant to awards such as $5,000 for Sooke Fall Fair Association, $4,200 for Flourish School Food Society, and $4,000 each for Sooke Horseshoe Association, Boys/Girls Club South Vancouver Island, and Friends of Sooke Parks. The full list and each applicant’s amount are set out in the motion.
The Committee would recommend that Council move the remaining $8,862 in community grant funding into the Sponsorship Fund.
The Committee would recommend that Council give $1,000 in Sponsorship funding to each of five groups: South Island Performing Arts Society, Sooke Youth Theatre Company, Sooke Harbour Players, and the Rotary Club of Sooke’s golf and youth golf tournaments. The total is $5,000.
The Committee would recommend that Council provide $12,300 from Council Contingency funding to seven groups: Victoria Brain Injury Society ($1,200), Sea to Tree Foundation ($1,800), Take a Hike Foundation ($2,000), Wear2StartSociety ($1,650), KidSport Greater Victoria ($2,050), Compost Education Centre ($1,100), and RCMSAR Sooke ($2,500).
The Committee would recommend that Council ask staff to tell every applicant the outcome and issue a public news release recognizing the successful recipients.
The Committee would recommend that Council ask staff to return to a future Committee of the Whole with a review of this year’s Community Grant Program, including what was learned and suggestions for improving its rules and process.
Council did not decide the Choral Evolution application because a councillor had a conflict of interest and the meeting did not have enough eligible members to proceed. The chair said it would return at a later council meeting. Staff identified $2,350 as the application’s aggregate scorecard amount; it formed part of the $4,650 set aside for the two deferred applications.
Council did not decide the Health Network application because a councillor had a conflict of interest and there was not enough quorum to consider it. It was left for a later council meeting. Staff identified $2,300 as its aggregate scorecard amount; together with the Choral Evolution amount, $4,650 was held aside.
The Committee of the Whole concluded its grant discussion and returned the matter to Council.
Routine: end the Committee of the Whole session and return to Council.
Council endorsed the Committee of the Whole’s grant recommendations as a block. The two applications affected by conflicts of interest were still to come back for consideration at a later regular council meeting.
Council would approve the listed Community Grant Program awards totaling $51,488, transfer the remaining $8,862 in grant funding to the Sponsorship Fund, and approve $5,000 in sponsorships for five groups and $12,300 in contingency funding for seven groups. It would also ask staff to notify all applicants, publicly recognize successful recipients, and return with a review of the grant program and recommendations for improvements.
The chair thanked councillors for attending and said approving the recommendations would allow successful groups to move ahead with their projects. Council adjourned at 2:51 p.m., according to the official motion.
Routine: adjourn the special meeting at 2:51 p.m.
All 11 decisions from the minutes appear under the agenda items above.