Peace River Town Council has decided to gift the Peace Regional SPCA with the two lots of land that they currently reside at.
The decision was made after the SPCA made a presentation at the council meeting tonight.
The motion states that the donation is dependent on obtaining a development permit prior to the formal transfer of land.
The development permit would be for a brand new facility that would replace the current building.
The presentation was given by the PRSPCA President Penny Steffen (phone), and Building Committee Members Sheila Veidt & George Leger (In person).
They detailed how the SPCA has outgrown the current facility. This was supported by numbers that show that they could take in another 600 to 700 animals this year, after an intake of over 600 in 2020.
They also showcased some of the maintenance issues that are popping up if they had to keep the current building, including the need for a new roof, outdoor runs, better ventilation, and mold removal. The presentation pointed out that it’s a bad environment for the animals and the 8 to 9 staff members needed to run the facility.
After a sizeable inheritance donation from Joyce Ford-Watmore, the dream of a new building was born.
The PRSPCA is currently working on a needs assessment and animal shelter design.
The early plans are to construct a 5000 square foot building that would include upgrades such as an isolation room, pocket pet rooms, treatment/medical room, staff room, offices, a board room to host events, adoption room, storage, laundry room, and more.
When asked how they planned to pay for the new facility, the committee referenced the inheritance, grants, and fundraising.
They are also looking into options for housing the animals during the demolition and construction.
-Damien Gnass, Trending 55 Newsroom
