M.D. Opportunity council approves nine grants

The M.D. of Opportunity council approved nine grants for local groups, covering youth sports, a school music exchange to Spain, camps and seniors programs. The approvals were passed at the Jan. 26 council meeting after a Jan. 19 grants committee.

The M.D. of Opportunity council approved nine grants that will support a range of local activities and services. The grants were discussed at a grants committee meeting on Jan. 19 and were passed by council on Jan. 26 without further discussion. The M.D. separates grants into non-committed (new applications each year) and committed funds. Budget figures and specific awards were reported by the Lakeside Leader. Grants details: - Several non-committed awards were approved: Bigstone Cree Nation Ladies Hockey Team received $1,500 for the Annual Treaty 8 Hockey Tournament (applied for $3,000), Miranda Sinclair received $1,500 to support Miikka Sinclair at the 2026 Arctic Winter Games, Mistassiniy School received $4,500 for a music exchange to Spain (reported as $500 per student for nine students), and the Wabasca Girl Guides received $5,000 for Camp Yowochas; those non-committed grants in this set totaled $12,500. - The M.D. reported the 2026 non-committed grants budget as $380,000; before this set $22,500 had been spent, leaving $357,500 remaining. - The Wabasca Lakeside Seniors Drop-in was approved for $45,000, with $10,000 allocated from non-committed funds and $35,000 from committed funds; Mistassiniy School also had $5,000 in committed funds reported in addition to the Spain trip funding. - Two other committed grants approved were $10,000 to Wabasca Iskwewak Society for a Women's Day celebration and $20,000 to the Kito Sakahekan Seniors Society for the Calling Lake seniors centre. - The article reports the committed budget as $780,000 before this round, with $70,000 already spent and $710,000 remaining. Summary: The council's approvals allocate both non-committed and committed funds to community events, youth activities, travel and seniors services across the M.D. of Opportunity. Undetermined at this time.