The Capital Regional District board has awarded a one-time $15,000 grant to the Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Society of Vancouver Island to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
While the initiative was ultimately supported unanimously, many directors expressed reservations Wednesday, saying that kind of grant is outside the CRD’s wheelhouse and has not been done for the refugees of other wars and international disasters.
Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch said it’s hard not to support the cause in the face of the “unbelievable humanitarian crisis,” but the CRD does not have a process for those kinds of requests.
“We should not be giving out grants without a grant process and application and qualifications criteria,” he said, adding that taking a “sort of who’s-in-the-news approach” is not sustainable and difficult to manage.
“I think if there’s an intention of this body to do this, we really need to actually help with policies attached to it, because this is a recipe for disaster to be dealing with it without any guidance or criteria.”
Other directors noted the same kind of relief was not offered during the Syrian refugee crisis or other international conflicts.
The CRD does not have a regional grants-in-aid program, but in the past it has made one-time grants to support issues deemed worthy — a $2,500 grant to support those affected by the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires and a $1.2-million contribution to support restoration work on the E&N Railway.
To make the donation, the CRD will have to go into deficit for the 2022 fiscal year, as there are currently no funds available for such a grant. It would be made up with tax revenue in the 2023 fiscal year.
That would amount to about 29 cents per resident of the region, noted CRD chair Colin Plant.
“I would say that this particular circumstance does strike me as different [from other international conflicts] because we have one nation invading another, whereas a lot of the other wars that are occurring in the world are internal struggles within nations,” he said, adding he sees support for the grant as striking a blow for democracy.
“I have no hesitation to support this knowing that these dollars are going to great use in our community. It’s in our own community. We’re not sending this money overseas.”
When the board asked the Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Society what it needed in terms of support, the answer was affordable housing for incoming refugees, daycare for those with families coming to Canada with younger children, and personal items such as clothing and toiletries.
The CRD board also passed a motion saying it would see how else the CRD could help the Ukrainian Canadian Cultural Society, and would update all regional municipalities about the action.
Victoria Coun. Jeremy Loveday said while the CRD does not usually provide these kinds of grants, the current circumstances are extraordinary.
“And one that warrants the board making a decision that doesn’t align with the usual practice of this board,” he said.
“This is another situation where we should step up and make a small but meaningful commitment financially, and align our fiscal contribution with the symbolic actions that the board has previously taken.”
He also noted that the fact grants were not given in the past is no reason not to act now.
“I think it is a good reason to reflect on why that didn’t happen at that time and perhaps allow those reflections to change actions in the future should another crisis emerge, as it inevitably will.”
Metchosin Mayor John Ranns said the region has already undertaken many initiatives to send aid to Ukraine and raise money and supplies for refugees and the displaced. And he cautioned that there are reasons the CRD doesn’t wade into grants-in-aid, warning the board ought to be careful about setting a precedent.
“We have to be careful about about protecting our processes, because there’s always going to be a need,” he said.
Plant said he would direct a question to the CRD’s finance and governance departments about what kind of policy the regional district should have in place for grants in extraordinary circumstances like the crisis in Ukraine.
