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Salmar delivers for Montebello, Roots and Blues

The purposes of the Salmar Community Association according to its constitution are many, but one stood out at the Nov. 26 AGM
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Doug Adams

The purposes of the Salmar Community Association according to its constitution are many, but one stood out at the Nov. 26 AGM: Article 2 (k), “co-operate with and, if the society sees fit, assist any other society, association, person or entity where the intended result is to further the society’s purposes.”

The board of directors included two special resolutions – giving $100,000 to the Salmon Arm Museum at R.J. Haney Heritage Village for the Montebello project and $50,000 to the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society to help with renovations to a building on Fifth Avenue at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Third Street SW.

Salmar director Gary Brooke also referred to the purpose of the society, which includes “using money derived from its many activities or events solely for community purposes.”

Brooke explained that the Montebello block will be a single building with nine storefronts to mimic a long-ago version of a Salmon Arm street and will house offices, archives and exhibition space.

“The documenting of local history will be much more efficient,” he said.

Members at large agreed and unanimously passed the motion to fund the project.

“We’re positively elated the membership agreed to ratify the board resolution that was made back in June,” said Doug Adams, past-president of the Salmon Arm Museum and Heritage Association and director for the Montebello project.

“That brings commitments up to $860,000 of a $1.4 million project. And that’s without any provincial or federal funding that we’re looking to apply for.”

After hearing Salmar Community Association director Chris Papworth describe plans for the creation of a new Roots and Blues office out of an old building, members at the annual general meeting were 100 per cent in favour of kicking in $50,000 to help with renovations.

The plan is to lift the small building up in order to build a basement for storage underneath and create offices on the main floor.

Papworth noted Shuswap Construction Industry Professionals (SCIP) have already committed $100,000 to the building that is owned by the City of Salmon Arm.

Under the terms of a five-year agreement, the city will lease the property to the Folk Music Society for $1 a year, which will save the organization about $20,000 a year.

“All I can say is that’s wonderful and we’re happy once more to get support for our community event,” said an enthusiastic folk music society president Lody Kieken.

“It has been a good evening for the Salmon Arm community,” said Salmar Community Association president Patty Munro as she acknowledged the normally one-hour meeting was longer than usual for a good reason.