A local Smithers family has pledged to match all donations for Smithers Library-Gallery project up to $1 million.
Harvey and Corry Tremblay founders of Hy-Tech Drilling were announced as the donors pledging to match all donations and non-federal grants for the project up to $1 million after a special council meeting held this morning at 8 AM.
At the meeting, the council voted to change their previous plans of applying for 90 per cent funding to 80 per cent funding which council believes will strengthen the grant proposal in hopes of getting it approved.
Bachrach says, “since we have seen such a generous donation from a Buckley Valley family that has raised their kids in this community and built their business in this community is a huge vote of confidence for the project, and I want to thank them on behalf of the town of Smithers.”
The Tremblays’ donation means the Town of Smithers will only have to borrow $1 million instead of the $1.5 million in the current funding plan.
“We raised our family in this community and built our business here. We see this project as an opportunity to give back in a way that benefits Bulkley Valley families and contributes to the vitality of the community,” says Harvey Tremblay. “We are challenging the community to join us in supporting the project by raising an additional $1 million in donations.”
The plan moving forward is to raise $1-million in donations which Councillor Phil Brienesse feels confident the town can do since he says the Friends of the Library group have around $100, 000 sitting in the bank and adds when he talked to the library they have about $300,000 in reasonably firmed commitments.
He adds that so long as that goes through and including the fact that the town can raise a fair amount in grants “it is pretty reasonable for the community to be able to raise the rest.”
In the chance, council can’t raise the full $2 million in donations they have the resources to cover the full $3 million.
Bachrach says he “feels excited and confident in the idea of raising $1 million for the project.”