Community uproar after Langford drops funding for memorial run
Dismay, anger and shock has rippled through the community of Langford, B.C., after the city decided to not financially support a community event.
“I felt deeply insulted,” said Dianna Seaton, a long-time resident of Langford.
Seaton was instrumental in the fundraising efforts to build the Sarah Beckett Memorial Playground in Langford. It is dedicated to the officer who lost her life in the line of duty in 2016.
Since then, a memorial run in the constable's memory has taken place every year since her passing.
“Keeping her memory alive,” said Seaton.
This year, the City of Langford has decided to not fund the run through its grant and aid funding program, something that the past council had done every year for the sum of $2,500.
The reason is this year’s grant application came in late.
“That deadline is on Jan. 15 and this was an application that was being purposed after the deadline had already passed,” said Colby Harder, a Langford councillor.
“I thought it was going to be easy to get it to go through, just to discuss it but it wasn’t,” said Chris Foxall, a community advisory committee member with the City of Langford.
Foxall brought the item forward during a recent meeting, hoping to push it forward for council to discuss for approval.
“It went to a vote, it went to a four-four (tie) which I didn’t know, so we went to staff and four-four is denied,” said Foxall. “It’s defeated.”
Instead, the city says it will provide $2,500 of in-kind funding for the run.
“To wave the rental and permitting fees for the stadium and plaza,” said Harder. That being Starlight Stadium, sitting directly in front of the Sarah Beckett Memorial Playground.
“For Sarah Beckett we always let them have the field for free,” said Lanny Seaton, a former Langford councillor.
Lanny says the charity event was never charged for the facility, while also receiving a contribution of $2,500 from the city to support the run.
“Even if you rented this field, it’s $70 an hour,” said Lanny. “If you had it for four hours, that’s $280.”
CTV News asked Coun. Harder if the facility is really worth $2,500 of in-kind funding. Her answer was yes.
“That is my understanding, that is the rental fee that we do charge out for the stadium and plaza,” said Harder.
Lanny disputes that cost saying there is no way the price of the facility rental is valued at $2,500.
“I reached out to Mike Farnworth, the minister of public safety and solicitor general,” said Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
Parmar says the province will now step in, covering the funding shortfall left void by the city "in the hopes that we will be able to work with Langford to ensure that in future years they will be able to provide the grant,” said Parmar.
Registration for the Sarah Beckett Memorial Run is open now, with the event taking place on May 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Man throws flaming liquid on New York City subway, burns fellow rider
A man set a cup of liquid on fire and tossed it at fellow subway rider in New York City, setting the victim's shirt ablaze and injuring him.
At least 9 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least nine people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
As Canada warms, infectious disease risks spread north
Cases of Lyme disease have now increased more than 1,000 per cent in a decade as the warming climate pushes the boundaries of a range of pathogens and risk factors northward.
12 people injured after Qatar Airways plane hits turbulence on way to Dublin
Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said.