The McLennan Curling Club Society is inviting all residents with an interest in the proposed new community centre project to attend a wine-and-cheese open house event tentatively set for Feb. 28 at the Elks Hall. Rita L’Heureux, president of the society, says the informal function represents a great opportunity for residents to see exactly what the project is all about. “The wine-and-cheese event will give everyone in the community an opportunity to view the engineering design of the community centre and learn more specific details in relation to the community-based project,” she says, adding the event is taking place at 7 p.m. In other related news, the curling club has agreed to foot the bill (up to a maximum of $34,500) for a recently proposed engineering modifications which will see the front of the facility increase in size by 3,100 square feet (1,550 square feet per floor). The expense includes the re-design, engineering and drafting of all construction drawings by Southwest Steel Products Ltd. The increase in size was requested to bring the upstairs seating capacity in the banquet room from 200 to 400 in an effort to accommodate more people for various community-based functions. The curling club society is presently working with the town on a new grant funding application through the Canada-Alberta Building Canada Fund – a joint grant funding venture which will see a targeted investment of $88 million each earmarked by both governments through the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component. The fund, which targets municipal and rural infrastructure investment strategies across the country, was recently unveiled as part of a commitment by both governments to help meet municipal infrastructure needs vital to sustainable development and long-term economic growth. To ensure as many projects as possible can be considered for funding, a cap of $3 million per community has been set for the one-time funding opportunity which includes an application deadline of March 15, 2009. The municipality and curling club plan to submit their application within the next week or so. Projects approved under the BCF-CC are eligible to receive two-thirds of the overall funding cost (one-third each from the province and federal government) with the applicant responsible for the remaining balance. If successful, the grant application could help minimize the overall expense of the proposed community centre project in McLennan to roughly $1.3 million based on the increased size and a 33 per cent cost-sharing formula. The society has also applied for a second grant through the Government of Alberta’s Major Community Facilities Program, which provides up to 33 per cent of the overall project expense up to a maximum of $10 million. The curling club, meanwhile, is still accepting registrations for its upcoming cash bonspiel fundraiser being held on the April 4th weekend at H.W. Fish Arena. To register, contact L’Heureux at 780-324-3052.