With a Neighbourhood Small Grant, neighbours on Finnerty in Penticton completed a Fire Smart assessment, with a recommendation to remove all the emerald Cedars planted adjacent to their homes.

The Fire Smart program organized and paid for the bins used to collect/dispose of the cedars. Our volunteer homeowners filled ‘3’ huge bins and it was estimated that we saved over $10,000 by not having to have the cedars removed by a professional landscaping contractor,” explains Deborah one of the organizers and grant recipient.

Every homeowner, regardless of whether they were able to help with the cedar removals or not, was invited to the BBQ. It really was a great afternoon.

The next day, any unopened food was taken down to the Purple Pantry on Ellis Street. “We purchased a bit too much food but hope that those in need were able to benefit from what was not consumed.”

“Thank you again for supporting our complex with a grant this summer. It brought us together for the first time in two years and was greatly appreciated by all that attended”.