A local non-profit that has served Dawson Creek for nearly seven decades is asking city council for a property tax exemption as it expands support for aging residents with developmental disabilities.
Representatives of the Dawson Creek Society for Community Living appeared before council Monday to present an application for a 2027 permissive tax exemption for a newly constructed residential property.
Director of finance and administration Kirsten Homme said the city and the society share a long history in the region.
“Dawson Creek Society for Community Living has been serving the area and the community since 1958,” Homme told council.
“I understand that both DCSCL and the City of Dawson Creek were incorporated in 1958, which means we’ve been growing alongside each other to support our community for almost 70 years.”
The society operates more than 130 units of social housing, manages seniors services and runs Bulfries House, along with community inclusion and family support programs.
The society said the new property was built without government capital funding and was financed through a Northern Development Initiative Trust grant and the society’s savings.
The society said the home is intended to help residents remain in their community as they age.
Emily Quinn, program director for assisted living and supported homes, said the home is designed to allow adults with developmental disabilities to age in place.
“These individuals are among the most vulnerable members of our community,” Quinn said.
“This residence will provide them with a safe and stable, accessible home where they can continue to receive the support they need as they age.”
Quinn said securing the tax exemption would allow the non-profit to direct more of its operating budget toward direct care and program maintenance.
“As a non-profit organization, every dollar saved through a permissive tax exemption helps us direct more resources towards the people we support, maintenance of our homes, and quality of our programs,” she said.
Council received the presentation without questions and thanked the representatives for their delegation as the tax exemption application moves through the city’s regular review process.
