By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
RM of Corman Park councillors voted during their May 27 meeting to award a total of $7,000 in Saskatchewan Lotteries Community Grant funding to two non-profit organizations in the Dalmeny area and a preschool in the south portion of the RM.
The RM will provide the Dalmeny Skating Club and the Country Kids Pre-School with $2,500 each, while the Dalmeny 4-H Multiple Club will get $2,000.
The Saskatchewan Lotteries Community Grant Program assists in the development of sport, culture and recreation programs by providing funds to non-profit organizations operated by volunteers. For the current year, which runs from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, the RM received a total of $33,798 to allocate to non-profits.
With the $7,000 in grants approved by council and $4,000 previously awarded to the River Pirates Baseball Association, the RM still has $22,798 left to distribute this year.
DALMENY GRANTS
Executive assistant to the CAO Benjamin Sipple told council that the Dalmeny Skating Club had requested $2,500 to assist with coaching costs and ice rental fees.
Sipple said the club had also requested $2,500 in 2024-2025 and were provided that amount from the RM. He added that the club had also applied for $3,250 in Sask Lotteries funding from the Town of Dalmeny.
If this year’s request was approved, this would allow the club to continue its operations and maintain more affordable registration fees in the upcoming year. Otherwise, Sipple noted, fees would likely have to increase and operations were at risk.
Sipple said the club helps ensure ice skating is more accessible to residents in the RM, particularly in the Dalmeny area. Around 30 to 35 skaters are expected to be part of the club in the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
Similarly, the Dalmeny 4-H Multiple Club had requested $2,000 to help with the cost of program supplies, facility rentals and instructor fees.
Sipple said the 4-H club had requested $1,500 in Sask Lotteries funding in 2024-2025. Having received $1,250 from the Town of Dalmeny last year, they were also submitting a similar application this year.
If approved, the club would continue to offer activities that allow youth ages six to 21 to participate in various hands-on learning experiences and volunteerism.
Otherwise, the club will have to undertake additional fundraising and the opportunities for extra activities will be more limited.
Sipple noted that 29 registered members participated in the Dalmeny 4-H club last year and they were expecting similar numbers this year.
COUNTRY KIDS CO-OP
The Country Kids Co-op Preschool, which serves children between the ages of two to five, operates near the South Corman Park School in the “Log Cabin,” a community-run centre.
The preschool had requested a total of $6,500 in funding to assist with rent, educational supplies for crafts and science experiments, and special events like field trips and sports activities.
“It is a larger ask, and it is to assist them in maintaiing their operations. They made that very clear in their application,” Sipple said.
However, after speaking with Saskatchewan Lotteries, Sipple said approximately $1,000 of that amount was not eligible for a grant, as the preschool wanted to use it for bookkeeping and website maintenance.
This was the preschool’s first-ever request for a grant, as the non-profit is experiencing “significant financial issues” due to reduced registrations, he said.
If this request was not approved, the preschool would have to reduce expenses by trimming supplies, field trips and possibly even Friday morning classes.
It was noted the preschool anticipates raising $6,400 from various fundraisers.
Division 5 councillor Arthur Pruim said he had trouble approving this application as he felt it was “stretching” the purpose of Sask Lotteries funding, which should be directed more to sports-related organizations.
Division 2 councillor John Saleski said that point was fair, but he felt “a little bad” for not helping a non-profit organization that works with small children and suggested providing a smaller grant of $2,500.