COVID-19 Safe Restart Grant

Community COVID-19 Grant Program

In January 2021, Council initiated the Community COVID-19 Grant Program in order to distribute $25,000 in received COVID-19 Safe Restart Funds to community organizations that provide assistance to vulnerable populations. The funds were intended to offset COVID-related expenses and shortfalls, up to a maximum amount of $1,000 per organization. Read the related Staff Report 2021-Jan-19 here.

In early 2022, Council added $20,000 to the Community COVID-19 Grant Program, as the pandemic has continued to negatively impact many local non-profit groups.

Accordingly, the Town is inviting local non-profit organizations to submit applications for this new funding, even if they received a grant under the same program in 2021.

Eligibility

The Community COVID-19 Grant Program operates much like the Town’s Grants of Assistance program, with organizations self-identifying eligible expenses and submitting an application for consideration.

Staff administers the program and will contact all applicants once the award decisions have been made.

Eligible applicants include not-for-profit and other organizations that have incurred COVID-19 related costs, while providing services to vulnerable members of our community.

Application Form

If you have identified COVID-19 related costs that your organization incurred in order to provide services to vulnerable persons in our community, please complete this “fillable” application form and submit by email to finance@gibsons.ca. As this is an open intake grant process, applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.

Questions may be directed to the Council member who liases with your organization, or to the Town’s Finance Department, by email at finance@gibsons.ca or by phone at 604.886.2274.

COVID-19 Safe Restart Funds

In November 2020, the Town learned we would receive $1.512 million under the COVID-19 Safe Restart program, which is jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments.

The funding was provided to enable local governments to continue to provide services during the pandemic, with potential fund uses clearly outlined in the initial grant document.

In December 2020, Council approved spending $382,000 of the COVID-19 Safe Restart funds for short-term costs related to the pandemic. These included computers and IT such as software, connectivity improvements and new computers, which better enable staff to work from home.

In March 2022, Council approved the allocation of $63,600 for council chambers audio visual equipment to host hybrid online/in person meetings.

Council also supported spending $177,500 for a three-stage transition to electronic record keeping, which would include digitizing all existing Town records.

The balance of COVID-19 Safe Restart Funds may be used for a Town building renovation project, if a pending grant application to fund the project is not approved.