REGINA — The Saskatchewan Veteran Service Club Support Program is returning for a second time, after a successful first intake that supported and strengthened the long-term sustainability of the province’s service clubs.
First launched as a COVID-19 support measure, the program is delivered through a partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command and the ANAVETS Saskatchewan Provincial Command.
The grants, available up to $25,000 for a club, are meant to be used for facility projects, like upgrades, renovations or repairs, or social improvements like meetings, access to programming, events or activities that engage with the public.
A total of 39 registered non-profit veteran service clubs in the province were accepted to take part in the first intake this spring, where they received more than $634,000 in total grant funding to help bolster their services.
Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Laura Ross called the program “an overall success,” as the grants helped clubs stay afloat operationally and continue providing support for veterans and their families within their communities.
"We encourage more veteran branches across Saskatchewan to apply for this grant regardless of if they've received any COVID-19 relief funding so that we can continue to support the veterans in our province,” said Ross.
The provincial government has allocated $1.5 million towards the program for this year's application periods, an increase from $1 million last year that indicates more projects may be approved.
Applications for the second round of 2021 grants are now available and will be accepted until Aug. 31.
For more information on the program and application guidelines, clubs are encouraged to contact the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command at 1-306-525-8739 or [email protected].