Removing the Downtown Fire hall was proposed by mayoralty candidate Tom Dyas. Photographer: John McDonald

Kelowna leaves cash grants program to heritage society

ANY BUILDING ON THE HERITAGE REGISTRY IS ELIGIBLE FOR CONSERVATION GRANTS

CENTRAL OKANAGAN – Heritage preservation grants and who gets them will continue to be the responsibility of the Central Okanagan Heritage Society.

Kelowna city council agreed Monday to enter into another year-long contract with the society to administer its annual heritage grant program.

Any property listed on the Kelowna heritage register is eligible for the grant program.

Aimed at heritage buildings of all kinds, the grant program assists owners by paying a portion of the cost of conservation projects.

The society charges $8,733 to administer the program, which distributes up to $35,000 each year.

Recognizing the costs of maintaining and restoring heritage properties, the city began the program in 1991. It has been administered by the society since 2008.

Council also heard from the society about the events connected to Heritage Week in the Central Okanagan, which runs from Feb. 15 to 21.

To contact a reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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John McDonald

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

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