Keep ward funds, but reform them, councillors told

With one exception, all the speakers at Tuesday's public meeting on the future of HCI funds in the city wanted to keep them, although many supported changing the way they are spent.

The lone exception was Barry Van Horne, the evening's second speaker, who made it clear he wants the $600,000 fund ($50,000 a year for each city ward) gone.

“I'm pretty ticked off,” Van Horne said. “Why are we back here arguing about it?”

He said many of the 10 new city councillors were elected with the expectation they would abolish HCI, and now it looks like they may stay, albeit with reforms.

“That rubs the taxpayer the wrong way,” Van Horne said.

But he was the exception, with almost all speakers sharing stories about the positive impact the funds have had on their communities.

From the Northern Ontario Railroad Heritage Museum in Capreol to the Ridgecrest Accessible Park Association in Ward 12, speaker after speaker talked about how the funds not only helped leverage money from other levels of government, but how they motivated volunteers.

Arthemise Camirand Peterson, of the Ridgecrest Accessible Park Association, said she has seen the playground evolve from humble beginnings to what it is today, thanks to HCI funds that leveraged $175,000 in federal funding. Today it is fully accessible and has a splash pad, among other amenities.

“It's an accessible gathering space for all ages,” she said.

Elizabeth Davis of the Louis Street Association said HCI money and community partnerships has helped turn around what was once “a marginalized community.

“We started with nothing,” she said, but now they have a community garden residents take pride in, offer after-school tutoring and a youth council.

“Our youth are active, and they are speaking out now,” Davis said. “We're earning respect again. HCI has given us a voice.”

While some speakers wanted councillors to keep control of spending decisions, other spoke out against that idea.

“The councillor should not be the sole authority – nor should staff,” said Rachelle Niemela, chair of the Ward 8 CAN.

But she said HCI funds have made a major difference to neighbourhoods and to motivating volunteers.

“Many projects and events would struggle if they didn't get support from the city,” she said.

After the meeting, Mayor Brian Bigger said he supports continuing with HCI funds in some form, but said councillors should not be making spending decisions on individual projects.

"It really does stimulate a lot more volunteer effort within a community,” Bigger said. "(But) I've always said that the role of council is to set strategy, to set direction of the organization, to ensure that there are proper policies and procedures in place."

Exactly how the funds will be spent in the future is still to be determined, Bigger said. A report on how to change the current policy is expected within a few weeks.