By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
City of Martensville councillors voted during their April 7 meeting to approve the allocation of $82,007 in 2026-2027 Saskatchewan Lotteries funding to five local schools and more than 20 non-profit organizations and events.
The Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund provides funding for local initiatives that enhance the quality of life through sport, recreation and culture. Saskatchewan municipalities, along with First Nations and other northern settlements, are tasked with distributing this money.
As detailed in a report from Director of Recreation and Planning Roxanne Melnyk, Martensville had been granted a total of $77,007 to allocate this year based on a formula of $7.30 for each of the city’s 10,549 residents.
As well, the RM of Corman Park has provided Martensville with another $5,000 as part of an ongoing practice dating back to 2013.
Melnyk recommended that a total of $12,000 be distributed to local schools, including $5,000 for the Martensville High School; $2,000 each for Venture Heights School, Valley Manor School and Lake Vista Public School; and another $1,000 for Ecole Holy Mary.
Most of the school requests related to sports equipment, though the high school is also looking at creating a new long jump and triple jump pit.
The other $70,007 is split between non-profit groups like the Girl Guides, Martensville Library and Martensville Youth Connection; sports groups like Maddogs Football, the Twin City Angels and Martensville Minor Hockey; and events like Buster Days and the 2026 Filipino Multi-Cultural Event.
The largest grant recipient is the New Horizons Seniors Centre, which has been allocated $7,500 for entertainment and travel-related expenses.
Some money has also been allocated for City of Martensville attractions like the Canada Day celebration and the disc golf course.
Notably, the total amount requested by local schools and groups/events totals $124,151, which is about $42,000 more than what the city was given to distribute (including the $5,000 from Corman Park).
While not everyone will receive the funding they requested, Melnyk noted at the April 7 meeting that “everyone that applies gets some kind of funding from us.”
Councillor Spencer Nikkel commended Melnyk for the layout of her report, though asked about the cases where groups were receiving less money than they did in previous years.
Melnyk indicated previous allocations were a starting point in deciding how much each applicant receives, though there were other considerations like Sask Lotteries’ mandate that some funding must be designated for seniors, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities and/or newcomers to Canada.
Councillor Darren MacDonald asked if the number of participants in an event was a factor, noting the fairly high allocation ($4,700) for the 574 Dakota Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.
Melnyk said they take every factor into consideration, including the number of requests received and, again, the amounts that applicants actually got in previous years.
While the number of people served by an event or group is a factor, Melnyk noted it is not one of the main considerations for the city and isn’t one of the criteria laid out by Sask Lotteries.