小蓝视频

An appeal for donations is going out to the community to assist with completing several projects at the Therapeutic Animal Park. Don Sealy, manager of the animal park, has already had several patrons donate time, materials and funds to ensure that projects for 2010 will be completed before the end of the year.

Projects ongoing at the Therapeutic Animal Park include building a storage garage to replace the existing canvas garage; repairs on all fencing; construction of a large birdhouse attached to a metal pole; increasing surveillance cameras to four; setting pavement to join the recently-cemented gazebo to the walking path; establishing a new parking lot west of the animal park, and building a bridge across the stream leading to the park.

In addition to these projects, there are 2.5 full-time equivalent paid workers that are required at the Animal Park, and they come every day to feed the animals, clean the pens and do any maintenance that is required.

Two welcome signs were also installed at the park. These were donated by Don Pokletar of ProTouch Signs and Mike Beaudoin, Artistic Designs.

One of the reasons that donations are so vital to the Animal Park, is because it is not government funded. There has also been misinformation that because cheque donations have to be made out to the Sun Country Health Region, that funds would go to their general budget and not directly to the Animal Park.

In fact, "the Sun Country Health Region has a designated account for the Therapeutic Animal Park, and all the donations put into that account are given back to the animal park for their projects and maintenance," explained Marga Cugnet, vice president of primary and integrated care with Sun Country.

The health region is also established to regulate charity receipts, and that is another reason why donations to the Therapeutic Animal Park have to be processed by the health region first.

A new metal donation box, donated by Jerry Mainil Ltd., has been built at the Park and decorated by Mike Beaudoin. Residents can place donations there, or through the Sun Country Health Region office at the Tatagwa View long-term facility, or by contacting Don Sealy.