When the Radium Hot Springs Seniors Club applied to have their charitable status removed, they got an unpleasant surprise.
The group, which is still going strong at 38 members, hasn’t taken advantage of its charitable status in a decade and decided they no longer needed the formal designation.
But Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) interpreted their request to mean that: “Radium Seniors has wound up, dissolved, or terminated its operations” and sent the group a letter saying they will likely be required to pay back all of the savings in their account.
“If we didn’t get rid of our money, they would take 100 per cent of whatever was left,” said Phyllis Jackson.
The seniors group has around $15,000 banked up, $5,000 of which they intend to donate to the Radium Public Library and $10,000 of which they would very much prefer not to donate to CRA.
“We didn’t want them taking all our money for no reason,” Marg Hodson told Radium council as the group asked to be adopted as a committee of council.
Mark Read, chief administrative officer for the Village, said if the seniors group became a committee, they could keep their cash, which would then be administered through the Village.
“They would lose a certain amount of potential control… (but) they would still basically have control of those funds,” he said, adding that the Village would “take them under our wing from a liability and financial administration perspective.”
In addition, he said becoming a committee of council would mean the group would be covered by Village insurance at no extra cost to the community.
“I’m not seeing any downsides,” said Mayor Clara Reinhardt before council agreed to adopt the group, which she will serve as the council representative.
“Thank you for all the years that you managed the old hall and everything you’ve done for the town and how you put us on the map for carpet bowling and everything. Thank you,” she said.
Mike Gray runs for UBCM director role
Councillor Mike Gray is running for one of five director positions with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).
In his material about why the province’s municipal leaders should cast their ballots for him, he said: “I am open to changing my mind, and even through this characteristic is (I think unfairly) used to besmirch some peoples’ reputations, I believe having the courage to re-evaluate my stance based on new information results in a more progressive outcome.”
The 2019 UBCM Convention will take place in Vancouver and will run from September 23rd to 27th.
UBCM topics of conversation
Mayor Reinhardt said she intends to have discussions with Provincial officials at UBMC about Radium’s upcoming roundabout and about proactive plans for emergency services when road closures mean additional traffic will be driving through Kootenay National Park.
Park progress
The Village received a $33,000 grant from the Columbia Basin Trust to add fire pits and benches in the Reunion Grove area of Legends Park, which is by the Radium Hot Springs Centre.
Mr. Read said it’s not clear if Radium’s new rink will be built this fall, although work is moving forward.
“The key issue is whether we can get that concrete poured (while the weather holds),” he said.
Radium calendar contest
Any Radium residents or passers through are welcome to submit their best pics for a chance to be featured in the community’s 2020 calendar. Photos can be of people, creatures, places, events or anything else in the community. Visit www.radiumhotsprings.ca/node/694 for the contest rules.
