Coquitlam city hall was flush with cash last week after getting its latest payout from the Boulevard Casino.
The city received $1.8 million from the provincial government for the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 quarter, bringing last year's jackpot to more than $8.2 million as part of the municipality's 10% cut of net profits as home city to the United Boulevard gambling venue.
To date, Coquitlam has received about $72 million since the casino opened in October 2001 - 12.5% of which goes into a community capital fund for local non-profit groups and the balance into a municipal capital fund to pay for major projects such as roads and sports facilities.
Last September, the city doled out nearly $275,000 in Spirit of Coquitlam grants to 12 cultural, sports and service groups, including $25,000 to the Festival Planners' Network, $10,872 to the Coquitlam Heritage Society and $7,600 to the Terry Fox Foundation to organize the first ever Fox Run in Coquitlam, held last September.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
