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Kamloops News

Bring on the block party

The Westsyde Community Development Society Amazing Race is one of the few events taking advantage of the Neighbourhood Matching Fund available through the city.
Image Credit: Westsyde Community Development Society

KAMLOOPS — The city wants to see more people on the streets of Kamloops partying and getting to know their neighbours.

Specifically, staff wants to see more block parties and the hope is an underutilized fund will help community associations host some in the near future.

The Neighbourhood Matching Fund is allocated for community associations, there's 10 in Kamloops, to have social events or put things in place that will help with being more social.

The fund was established a few years ago and is focused on helping to improve safety, accessibility and mobility, enhance celebration and beautification, encourage diversity and inclusion and enhance education opportunities that promote sustainability.

While neighbourhoods can opt for improvements under the fund, at least one councillor sees parties as a great way to bring neighbours together.

“We would like more of that,” Coun. Tina Lange says of block parties. “It's an excuse to get out and meet your neighbours.”

Some of the community associations, such as the Westsyde Community Development Society, are highly active right now and tend to apply to fund more frequently than others. In the past groups have used the matching fund the Westsyde Amazing Race, the purchase of hockey nets for the outdoor rink in Pineview, the North Shore clean-up and celebration day and the Westsyde free swim and kid's carnival.

While the funding is set at $500 per application the city will consider higher amounts depending on the application and how long the project will be used in the community. Matching funds for the association portion can include donations of food, product and in-kind labour. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor for this story, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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