A job fair sponsorship has been deferred to administration by the Town of Bonnyville council.
The Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association has requested sponsorship from the town as the event hits its 25-year anniversary. The event will take place at the West Edmonton Mall Ice Palace on Nov. 24 and 25. Sponsorship levels for the event vary from $1,500 up to $10,000.
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Council discussed the matter at the Oct. 14 regular council meeting in which councillors expressed support for the funding to continue.
“I do think this is valuable to continue to support,” said Coun. Brian McEvoy. “Don’t know if I’d be willing to support it at the same level we did when it was in town.”
Coun. Phil Kushnir supported the idea of supporting the event.
“I would be similar in the maybe $1,500 range,” he said. “I do believe we should sponsor this, I think it’s very valuable. I’d be very comfortable at $1,500.”
Coun. Byron Johnson pointed out there are plenty of local people and companies that attend the job fair.
“With their job search that they do out there, there’s a lot of local companies that do partake in the job fair there and a lot of local people from here that are there,” said Johnson. “And that’s only to bring more people into our communities and more work in. I’d be in favour of some sort of sponsorship for it.”
Council also discussed the idea of sending a delegation to the event on behalf of the town.
“We have been invited; I have been invited to attend once again as I did last year,” said Mayor Elisa Brosseau. “They sent an invitation to us so I will be attending on our behalf. They’ve also asked me to say a few remarks again.
“They wanted me to continue to speak because we are a great example of the collaboration between municipalities.”
The possibility of having this handled through economic development with a staff delegation was also discussed.
“If council wishes for administration to do this under economic development, we could definitely look at it through that with the $1,500,” said Quinton Wintfley, Town of Bonnyville’s chief administrative officer. “We could work with the economic development and go through that portfolio.”
Council made the motion to accept the request as information and is deferring the matter to administration to be addressed under the economic development program.
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