Inverary Youth facing $24,530 in unexpected expenses

Craig Bakay | Sep 19, 2018

Inverary Youth Activities came to South Frontenac Committee of the Whole Tuesday night in Sydenham asking for “$10,000 to $15,000” in financial support to offset “this year’s extreme and unforeseen expenses totalling $24,530 over normal year expenses.”

Treasurer Judy Borovskis told COW that in a normal year, the organization takes in about $30,000 from various sources mostly related to activities at Ken Garrett Memorial Park in Inverary. In a normal year, that represents the break even point.

But this year, the organization was faced with replacing foul ball nets ($16,240), underground wiring repair for diamond lights ($710), replacing a lawn mower ($7,380) and replacement of the canteen fridge.

They’ve been able to pay the bills by borrowing the $9,545 in the playground fundraising account, she said but general costs between now and the start-up of next season (insurance, hydro, bank fees, property taxes, employee wages fro September and October and the initial float for starting up the canteen) total $8.616.32. When combined with paying back the playground fundraising account, the organization is $18,161.32 in the hole.

Borovskis said they’ll continue fundraising through bottle drives and the advertising sign campaign. She said they’re looking at other possibilities such as doing lawn and diamond maintenance for the township park on Latimer Road for a fee, hosting children’s birthday events, a family fun day and a pizza dough sale. But the organization is facing washroom renovations to meet accessibility standards as well as work to the holding tank and a variety of other expenses.

Councilors were in general sympathetic to the organization’s plight.

“I would urge Council to support this application to cope with the burden they’ve got financially,” said Coun. Ron Sleeth.

Mayor Ron Vandewal had some more practical and immediate suggestions.

“There’s a lot of history here and I don’t think the youth group wants the Township to take over the fields,” Vandewal said. “But we do give them a $600 grant every year and looking at the property tax expense ($1,643.76) I think we can do something there.

“We can’t waive taxes but we could increase the grant to the amount of the taxes. We’ve done that for other groups.”

CAO/Clerk Wayne Orr said he could have a resolution prepared to that effect for next week’s Council meeting.

Vandewal also suggested that the group approach the County for information on grants available for accessible washrooms and said that if some of the financial problems could wait for budget time, they could probably help more.

“I think there’s potential for you cutting Township grass,” Vandewal said. “I’m sure you can do it cheaper than we can.

“That’s just the way it works.”

• • •

The South Frontenac Museum would like to focus more on the entire Township instead of just the “west side,” secretary Alan Boyce told COW.

He said they’ve been working with Bedford district for use of empty rooms in the basement and have been discussing ways to create an “oral history” archive.

However, like most organizations these days, lack of volunteers, particularly on the executive, remains a roadblock to many of their plans.

“The big thing for us operationally is to get more people in,” Boyce said. “There’s no doubt the support we receive from the Township is substantial.”

Boyce said one example of this is providing summer student Vanessa Kennedy, a third year museum administration student whom Coun. John McDougall described as “a crackerjack.”

Anyone interesting in joining the museum board or executive is asked to contact Boyce at 613-985-8404 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or president Andy Adamson at 613-389-3619 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..