MOOSE JAW - After a vote to determine whether the Hillcrest Golf Club’s upgrade project should be classified as a municipal project — which would enhance fundraising by an ability to issue tax-deductible receipts for donors — the motion was unanimously passed by city council on July 22.
To qualify for a municipal designation, a given project must have a broad scope that affects the general population. As the Hillcrest Golf Club is a public facility providing programs and services for junior to senior residents, this request was granted.
The agreement was made possible due to a lease agreement between the City of Moose Jaw and the club that designates city-owned land for use as part of the Hillcrest Golf Course.
in currently unused areas and will see aged areas receive an upgrade, with an estimated cost of $3.5 million over five years.
Now that it’s approved, the club’s Master Plan Re-Design Project will be designated as a municipal project until Dec. 31, 2029.
In 2018, city council approved a similar request by the club . This took place in 2020 after the club raised the necessary funds.
This former agreement also expired on Dec. 31, 2022, which is why a new request had to be made.
To raise funds for the new project, the club has developed a fundraising committee responsible for creating a sponsorship and donation strategy. To this end, the club felt that the ability to issue charitable tax receipts will benefit the fundraising effort.
Municipalities are considered qualified donors by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and can issue official donation receipts for income tax purposes.
The City of Moose Jaw currently has seven designated municipal projects so this request isn’t out of the ordinary. These projects include: Moose Jaw Arts in Motion, the Saskatchewan Festival of Words, Tourism Moose Jaw, the Burrowing Owls Interpretive Centre, Murals of Moose Jaw, the Iron Bridge Community Association (until Dec. 31, 2024), and Pickleball Moose Jaw (until Dec. 31, 2026).
Although the Hillcrest Golf Club is responsible for raising its own funds, the City of Moose Jaw will be responsible for the administrative costs associated with the issuing of charitable donation receipts. These costs are expected to range from between $1 and $2 per donor and will cover the cost to mail out receipts.
In the earlier 2018 agreement, the Hillcrest Golf Club received an amendment to its city lease agreement reflecting the depreciated value of any improvements done to the clubhouse over the term of the agreement, which is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2053.
Unlike the 2018 agreement, this project will not be added to the existing lease agreement. The reason for this, the city stated, was because the proposed improvements “will not result in any significant tangible capital assets being transferred,” and would place too much liability on the city.
Currently, the city’s department of planning and development is finalizing the required permits so everything will be ready when the work has been otherwise approved.
The starting dates for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project are yet to be determined, but work is expected to begin either this fall or in spring 2025.
The Hillcrest Golf Course is located at 1599 Main Street North. For more information, call 306-693-1921 or visit .
