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Mountain Co-Op makes pitch for another $15,000 from Kitimat Council

The group which runs Shames Mountain is asking for a continuation of Kitimat's $15,000 operational grant for the ski hill next year.

My Mountain Co-Op, the group which is set to own Shames Mountain, sent representatives to Kitimat's Committee of the Whole meeting on Dec. 10 to update the council on their latest efforts and to again ask for an operational grant of $15,000.

First on their topics of discussion was the fact that the Co-Op did make money over the last year, running in the black with about $1 million in revenues, said board member John Krisinger, who was there with Dave Crater.

One of the largest sections of their budget is capital projects, expected to cost $140,000 next year.

Their most recent large project was building a new home for their diesel power generators, which used to be housed in a small shack on the mountain, but now has a proper storage facility.

They also were forced through safety regulations to replace the cable which pulls their chair lift, which came at a cost of $80,000.

They'll be, over the next four years, purchasing small grips for their chair lift as well which is another safety code requirement. There are 189 of those grips on their chair lift system, and each grip costs $1,350.

Krisinger was asked how the Co-Op would use the $15,000 if they were approved for it next year, and he said that council could either stipulate how it's spent, or else it would likely go towards a major ongoing capital project of maintaining their snow groomer.

They also plan to build a new power line to their facilities.

Council moved for their request to be forwarded to their upcoming budget deliberations, as they have with all other budget proposals.

Meanwhile, the ski hill opened for the season last Saturday.