By Rosalind Russell – Under a new municipal budget, local facilities and organizations in Elliot Lake were invited to make presentations to council at a special gathering last Thursday.
Seven different agencies made presentations including Valerie Mercer-Spencer, president of the Renaissance Active Living Centre asking for $45,000 as part of their 2025 budget.
The Renaissance Active Living Centre shared how dire its circumstances are.
The centre did what it could regarding fundraising this year, but she says it is simply not enough and if they don’t receive additional funding, it would have a profound negative effect on their 335 clients.
Mercer-Spence told council the centre is a non-profit and charitable organization, incorporated in 1990 that has provided social, recreational, and physical activities in their present location for 34 years.
The budget input session is a new initiative, and council will take the requests under advisement as the work through the budgetary process.
Photo: Elliot Lake council introduced a new initiative last week for its budget talks – public input from different organizations to highlight their wants and needs for 2025 as part of the budgetary process. Photo by Rosalind Russell