TREENA MIELKE/Ponoka News
The Dakota Community Historical Society has received another much-needed financial boost from Ponoka County.
At its regular meeting April 26, Ponoka County agreed to contribute $4,000 to the society to go toward the improvement of Dakota Hall. The county had previously contributed $3,000 toward the project.
County councilor George Verheire, who made the motion to donate the funding, said the county’s policy is to help out by matching funding already raised.
“It has been our policy that whatever they have in the bank, we match. They already have $7,000 in the bank, so we can match that.”
Verheire said the money is to go towards putting in a sewage system and running water.
“The hall does not have running water and only a chemical toilet.”
He said the hall, which is located four miles north of Hwy. 53 on the Dakota Road between Crestomere and Ponoka, is being used by families in the surrounding community.
“They have had great success so far. They had an Easter egg hunt there and it was very successful. There are quite a few young families in the neighborhood that can certainly make use of it.”
In a letter to Ponoka County, Scott Bresee, president of Dakota Community Historical Society said the society had looked into applying for a Canadian Facility Enhancement program Grant, but decided that waiting for such a funding source, which would not be available until October would not be practical at this time.
“As a farming community we fear this late in the year will create a problem for the community as harvest has to come first. September and October are harvest months and often harvest is not finished before the ground becomes frozen. This time of year we fear would very much affect digging of ground for plumbing and much needed volunteer labor hours.”