If it weren’t for a chat between the Chief of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation and the Mayor of Delisle, the grant towards a new zamboni for the town’s arena might not have happened.

Chief Darcy Bear told Dave Anderchek the catchment area for grants from the Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation is a 75 kilometre radius from the First Nations.

Director of the CDC, Shirley Greyeyes, says their maximum grant is $25-thousand, but after receiving the application knowing that the cost of the zamboni would be around $120-thousand, it was presented to the board of directors as a special project and they were able to hand over $50-thousand.

The new zamboni arrived this past summer.

Greyeyes says a lot of people don’t realize the CDC is a separate entity from SIGA or the casino. The casino is owned by the Saskatoon Tribal Council with its 7 member First Nations, and the Community Development Corporation is the charitable arm of the STC.

Any non-profit can apply for funding if they are within the catchment area.

The grants are for economic, social or cultural development, justice, education, recreation facilities operations and development, senior and youth programs, community infrastructure development and maintenance, health initiatives and other charitable purposes.