Last week Board members of the Killarney Foundation made the rounds to deliver cheques to their list of recipients for their spring application season, granting a total of $96,153.
"It's always a great day when you get to hand out cheques!" shares Killarney-Turtle Mountain Mayor Janice Smith and Chair of the Killarney Foundation. "We always love to run around on this day to give the award recipients their cheques. This is always a rewarding time when we can support all the different things happening in our community. The Killarney Foundation has given back so much money over the years to all the different organizations and their projects."
One of the projects supported by the Killarney Foundation was for the building renovations for the local Billiard Club. A combined grant in partnership with the Killarney Kinsmen helped that organization make necessary improvements with a matching grant between the two parties for the Club. "It's always a great thing to work together within the community," adds Smith.
The Killarney Ag Society received $10,000 through the Killarney Foundation through Thomas Sill Foundation funds for a new permanent shelter.
The roof structure is in lieu of the tent that is erected every summer at the Ag grounds says Ag Society President, Tammy Munroe. "It will be north of the grandstands, right in front of the canteen, between the canteen building and the racetrack."
"This will be a permanent structure that multiple groups will use," she says. "It will be 112' x 35'. It will have sliding walls, curtain structure that you will be able to see through just like a wedding tent. So, you'll be able to sit under the roof and watch the races or watch the rain outside."
The total project features the solid roof on poles with soft walls, like curtains that can be added and removed dependent on the needs and comes at a cost of $90,000. Installation is expected to take place in early October.
"As everything else it's very expensive but we have raised some money ourselves and have approached some other organizations," she says, "but this grant from the Thomas Sill Foundation is a very generous donation."
Funds allocated to Killarney's Tri-Lake Health Centre through the Foundation's designated funds went towards the purchase of a Suzie Q cart and to purchase chairs for the hospital's Acute Care Unit.
Here's where the income from your donation dollars to the Killarney Foundation have gone to in the last two years. Thank you so much to the community of Killarney and area for enabling us to help so many worthwhile causes!
- Municipality of Killarney Turtle Mountain — Sponsorship of Killarney Foundation Community Hall (2024)
- Shamrock Centre — 2 treadmills (2024)
- Killarney Agricultural Society — Covered Outdoor Dining Hall (2025)
- Killarney Turtle Mountain Fire Department — Breathing Apparatus (2025)
- Killarney Lightning Volleyball — Club Volleyball costs (2025)
- Lakeland Regional Library — Water Bottle Refill Station (2024); Conference costs (2025)
- Killarney Lake Action Committee — Lake Aeration project (2025)
- Shamrock Billiard Club — Building Renovations (2024)
- Royal Legion Plaza — Defibrillator (2024)
- Rock Lake Camp — Stain for decks (2025)
- Killarney 4-H Club – Uniform purchase (2025)
- Killarney Turtle Mountain Arts Council — Band Stand renewal (2025)
- Killarney Filipino Community — Assistance with community festival (2025)
- Killarney Minor Baseball — Baseball diamond upgrades (2024 & 2025)
- Killarney Lakeside Golf Club — Maintenance shed reno (2024)
- Kiddie Korner Early Learning Centre — Rubber Playmats (2024) Chairs (2025)
- Royal Canadian Legion Branch #25 —Flooring assistance (2024)
- Killarney Curling Club —Assist with Junior Program training equipment (2024)
- Roots of Early Learning Daycare —Assist with mandated building renos (2024)
- Southwest Community Options —Assist with Able Sail Program; Sound system (2024)
- TM Souris Plains Heritage Assoc. —Assist with publishing local history books(2024)
Just over $7,300 was granted to the Killarney Lake Action Committee for their newest project; the installation of the nanobubble system to be install within the next 2 weeks on the bay side of the lake, behind the Ag Society campground.
The Lake Committee was expecting to see the team from Calgary install the new technology this past week, with a scheduled date of May 27th. However, the system was needing a special part that was coming from Europe and hadn't arrived yet.
"We're hoping for this week or next week for the install to take place," shares committee member and project lead, Shane Warnez. "We want to get this 6-month pilot project off the ground as soon as possible. But we want to thank the Killarney Foundation for their support of this project through the Thomas Sill funds. We're very excited to see how this nanobubble technology fares over the summer months."