The Strathcona Regional District wants to light up Strathcona Gardens.
A funding application for a grant from the Federal Gas Tax Strategic Priorities Fund was sent off last month to try and secure $186,000 to improve the lighting at the recreation complex.
The proposed lighting project involves retrofitting existing lighting at the Gardens with LED lights above arena two and the leisure ice, the leisure pool, around the outside of the building and in the parking lot.
The regional district board of directors has approved $42,800 for a lighting upgrade at arena two, however, that’s contingent on the regional district securing grant funding.
The board has also included $22,300 in the 2015-2019 financial plan for parking lot lighting upgrades.
The leisure pool, on the other hand, is not currently in the budget but Russ Hotsenpiller, the regional district’s chief administrative officer, said the financial plan can be tweaked if need be.
“The leisure pool lighting upgrades were not anticipated in the current financial plan, however, it makes good operational, environmental and economic sense to include it in the grant funding application,” Hotsenpiller said.
The board, at its April 8 meeting, voted to go ahead with a funding application to cover all of the project.