Mountain View County council has approved a total of $20,500 in funding requests for area visitor information centres.
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
Three years ago the county created a program to provide financial assistance to visitor information centres and to support visitor focused projects and enhancements within the geographical boundary of the county.
“The purpose of the funds is to enhance their ability to operate, deliver services to the community and heighten the overall visitor experience,” administration said in a briefing note to council.
Under the program a maximum of $5,000 may be approved for each organization each year.
The funding may be used for general operational expenses such as summer staff wages, general maintenance or special projects. It may also be used for fixed outdoor assets such as benches, signage, mapping, garbage and recycling collection.
Grants approved for 2018 include:
- Carstairs and District Historical Society - $5,000 for operating costs.
- Town of Didsbury - $5,000 for picnic tables and planters.
- Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development - $5,000 for operating costs.
- Sundre Chamber of Commerce - $5,000 for operating costs.
- Village of Cremona - $500 for mobile services enhancement (iPad program).
“We project a higher number of visitors in 2018 as more families and tourists come from all corners of the world to experience the outdoors,” Sundre Chamber of Commerce president Connie Anderson said in Sundre’s funding application.
