BATTLEFORD - Here is a rundown of highlights from Monday night’s Battleford council meeting held at Town Hall.
The Town of Battleford is fully on board with the initiative Action for Happiness.
At their meeting Monday, council voted to adopt the Action for Happiness pledge, and to allow two town staff to operate the Town of Battleford Action for Happiness chapter.
Action for Happiness is described as a movement of people committed to building a happier and more caring society. Battleford would be following the footsteps of the Town of Beaumont, Alberta, whose mayor and council has already signed on to the initiative.
At their website, Beaumont described the initiative as follows: “Beaumont's Action for Happiness is about mental health, stability and compassion towards yourself and each other. As we grow this initiative, we will be putting together resources, webinars, activities, and projects that focus on bringing our community closer together.”
Council members in Battleford were enthusiastic about the program as a way to spread happiness in the community. There is no cost to joining, and Action for Happiness will be included as part of the town’s social media feed and website, similar to what Beaumont has been doing.
In other news from the meeting:
Some grant requests went before town council Monday. Council voted in favor of capital funding to Battlefords Handi-Bus to purchase a new Handi-Bus.
This is for the fiscal year 2022 in the amount of $16,500. The city of North Battleford would contribute $38,500 while the remaining $55,000 would be funded by a grant from TAPD — Transit Assistance for People with Disabilities. North Battleford council heard a similar capital request for the new bus at their council meeting in October.
In addition, operational funding was approved for Battlefords Handi-Bus in the amount of $37,500. This is an annual amount and there is no change from last year.
Town council also has approved a grant of $10,000 to Concern for Youth. This is for the budget year 2022 and is $2,000 more than the approved amount from last year. The grant would cover staff salaries ($8,000), as well as mentorship services and gas.
The request was approved unanimously, with councillors calling Concern for Youth a valuable service for youth in the community.
Town council voted in favor of extending the canteen lease agreement with Wayne Warren for Battleford Arena. The extension adds three more years to the current agreement, which means the lease will now run to March 2025.
Coming up on Nov. 20 in Battleford is the Lights of Joy launch at Historic Lions Park on 22nd Street. The launch event will run starting at 5 pm that day with the lights turned on at 6:30 p.m. that evening in the park.
In connection to that, council has approved the Battleford Community Spirit Group’s request to set up temporary barricades from Nov. 19 and 22. Mayor Ames Leslie clarified at the meeting that the barricades will not be up that entire time, but will be on loan to the group to put up for the event.
