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Snowmobile clubhouse renovated

Ken Alexander’s regular correspondence for the South Cariboo area
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The First Nations archeological assessment in mid-September 2017 launched the beginning of a clubhouse renovation project for the Green Lake Snowmobile Club. The funding to make the clubhouse more energy efficient and increase the usability for the community was recently approved by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and Northern Development Initiative Trust. Ken Alexander photo.

Green Lake Snowmobile Club (GLSC) members are very excited the renovations at the clubhouse will be going forward and could be completed by the end of April.

Starting in 2017, a lot of work went into getting the renovation project to the stage it is now.

The first aspect of the renovation project was bringing natural gas into the clubhouse to replace the propane system, GLSC president John Sullivan says.

“Because [the clubhouse] is on lease property, we needed to get a First Nations [archeological] assessment before we could dig the gas line.”

He adds Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart found $8,000 to pay for the archeological assessment for the snowmobile club.

“We were grateful for that.”

Sullivan notes Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) funding was eventually used to run the gas lines and hook up the gas service to the clubhouse.

In December 2017, the GLSC executive formed a committee to start working on a list of renovations it wanted for the clubhouse and prioritized it.

The wish list included:

Updated kitchen: installing new countertops; removing the propane stove and replacing it with gas range and hood; replacing the existing fridge with a newer fridge; and installing a commercial dishwasher to move towards the new health standards for the kitchen.

Installing a gas furnace to replace an inefficient wood stove to maintain a low heat temperature in the clubhouse for fridge and dishwasher.

The GLSC is also replacing the five original windows and a set of double metal doors.

“All of this work on the renovations will help meet the demands of the community.

“The upgrading of the kitchen makes it better for events that need to cook food rather than just having the current warming stations.”

Once the list was completed, the committee contacted local TNRD director Sally Watson to find grants to pay for the renovations and determine which grants to apply for.

She was a great help putting things together, Sullivan says.

Noting the TNRD had professional grant writers, he adds Watson brought them to a committee meeting.

Sullivan says they gave us hints of what we could apply for and what sources of funding would be available.

It turned out the items the TNRD couldn’t fund could be picked up by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).

For instance, the TNRD couldn’t for appliances but the NDIT could and, conversely, the NDIT wouldn’t pay for taxes, but the TNRD could.

In the end, the TNRD approved $18,000 in funding, while the NDIT kicked in $24,000 and the snowmobile club had to provide around $3,000.

It’s going to be a really big improvement, Sullivan says.

“It’s going to be a step forward into modernizing to meet new standards.

“We want to thank the people who have helped make this possible.”

Snow conditions

With the recent snow melt, Sullivan says the snow base is thin and sledders would run the risk of hitting rocks and roots on the trails.

At the present time, he adds, conditions haven’t improved and snowmobilers are hoping for a large dump of snow.

Memorial ride

The club is holding its annual Memorial Ride at the clubhouse (176 Green Lake South Rd.) on Feb. 3.

There will be a campfire and hotdog roast from 11 a.m. to noon.

Then longtime club member John Nesbitt will read the names while remembering past club members.

Weather and snow conditions permitting, there will be a ride from 1 to 3 p.m.