- Image
The Fort St James Community Foundation was established in 2010 to provide a means to pool community donations and maximize funding opportunities for our area. Dedicated to the social improvement of our community, the FSJCF has provided funding support, grants and sponsorships for a variety of local and regional initiatives.
The Foundation gathers donations and legacies, investing the proceeds back into the community through its grant application process. In this way, Fort St. James and area have a resilient source of community organization funding.
One of the Foundation’s main fundraisers is its 777 Giving Campaign – employees may enroll at their workplace to have $7 from each paycheque given to the Community Foundation.
Each year, the Foundation bestows its 777 Giving Campaign Award to the organization who has the largest number of employees enrolled in its campaign. This year, Treasurer Joyce Helweg was pleased to announce that the District of Fort St. James was the recipient of the 2024 777 Giving Campaign award. In 2023, the District donated a total of $1,780 from 36% of its total workforce.
The origin of the name ‘777’ is explained by Fort St. James Community Foundation Treasurer,Joyce Helweg.“If 777 employees working in a variety of sectors donate $7.00 from each bi-weekly paycheque in a year, together they are helping the Fort St. James Foundation raise $141,414.”
The District of Fort St. James would like to thank the Fort St. James Community Foundation for its dedication in providing support to local organizations, and for its recognition of our employee contributions through this year’s award.
To learn more about the Fort St. James Community Foundation 777 Giving Campaign, click the link below or contact the Foundation directly:
Phone: 250-996-7293 or 778-667-0003
Email: fsjcf.info@gmail.com
Mailing address: PO Box 17, Fort St. James, BC, V0J1P0
For more information please contact the District of Fort St. James at:
Phone: 250-996-8233
Fax: 250-996-2248
Email: district@fortstjames.ca
Access PDF of Press Release here
The District of Fort St. James has obtained funding from Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) to undertake a feasibility and design study for the expansion and revitalization of its popular Spirit Square Park.
The subsidence of the slope along the Spirit Square portion of Stuart Lake has been a long-standing challenge to a more complete use of the park. In 2023, two lots adjacent to the existing Spirit Square Park were purchased, in order to expandaccess District park spaces, and to provide access for slope stabilization activities. Additionally, the District set aside a total of $2,300,000 over several years’ budgets to address slope stabilization and park renewal activities. Archaeological studies in advance of stabilization work are currently underway.
As a result of this land purchase, the District finds itself with a valuable opportunity to effectively double the existing footprint of Spirit Square Park, and to further increase value to the expanded site by slope stabilization activities.
“As part
The Design team recently completed a community consultation process with District and area residents, from which a wealth of advice and information were obtained.
“The consultation was an excellent opportunity to gather the community and ignite excitement for the new park,” reports CAO Rachelle Willick.
“We received a large variety of important feedback, including the location of an endangered tree which needs to be preserved, the white bark pine. Our community’s overwhelming response to the consultation was that it wants a welcoming, safe space for healthy community activities, such as expanded farmers’ market and food truck facilities, safe play and educational spaces for our schools, daycares and library to use, and landscaping that reflects the historic and resourceful nature of our community.”
The design team has completed its community consultation and Council feedback meetings; the final design report is expected to be delivered to Council for their approval by the end of January, 2025.
“Once the design plan has been finalized, funding partners will be approached, and then the exciting work of revitalization can begin. The renewed Spirit Square Park should be completed within the next few years, funding dependent. It will serve our growing community well for decades to come,” concludes Mayor Elphee.
“This design study is the first step in a thoughtfully undertaken revitalization of Fort St. James’s public buildings and spaces, which will prepare our community for development and expansion. Although we are in difficult economic times, the District is looking ahead to the increase in mining, value-added resource industries and tourism, and is committed to making Fort St. James a healthy and vibrant place to live, work and play.”
Although the consultation meetings are completed, public feedback is still welcomed – residents and Spirit Square patrons can visit
https://www.fortstjames.ca/live/current-projects
and review the Spirit Square design preliminary drawings. A survey is also available on this page, with responses recorded until mid-November.
For more information, please contact the District of Fort St. James at:
Phone: 250-996-8233
Fax: 250-996-2248
Email: district@fortstjames.ca