Georgian Bluffs is seeking a grant from the federal government to make the Derby Township Hall in Kilsyth fully accessible.
Council approved a plan to apply to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada for up to 75 thousand dollars worth of funding.
The money would come from the Small Project Component of the agency’s Enabling Accessibility Fund.
Bill White, the Township’s CAO, says the hall has various needs that could be addressed by this funding.
The plan is to reconfigure the building’s entrance, making it accessible to everyone, and also to improve the washroom facilities.
Georgian Bluffs previously applied for provincial Trillium funding for this project but was denied.
But White says since they already know exactly what to do, that could help it to meet the federal funding criteria, which stipulates the work must start prior to March 31st.
It’s not known if a completion deadline will be stipulated should Georgian Bluffs be approved for funding.
It’s a competitive process because the program is open to private businesses and non-profit organizations as well as municipalities.
On the plus side, successful applicants will not be required to come up with matching funding.
Even more promising, White says the work can likely be done for far less than 75 thousand dollar cost.
The deadline to apply for this funding is September 10th.
