A few local organizations are in the running the Aviva Community Grant including Hope for Wildlife and the Community Carrot Coop. The competition is online and the idea with the highest number of votes win funding. The prize money is broken up into categories small, medium and large with funding ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 dollars.     

Gwen McAuley is the Communications Strategist for the Community Carrot Co-op she says the need for a grocery store in the North end is real.

“There’s no doubt about the fact there’s a huge demand in that neighborhood there are about 5000 people who currently live without close nearby access to a full service grocery store,” she said. “People in that area either have to go a long distance to feed their family they have to shop largely from the local convenience store.”

Hope Swinimar is the founder for Hope for Wildlife and also a semi-finalist in the competition. She says the money would go a long way in her organization if they win.

“We would be able to open a marine wildlife rescue centre it would be the first of it’s kind and it would allow us to do rehab work to our full potential,” she said “there’s some complications with trying to do marine animals here at our present  location it would be much better if we could have it with salt water and away from land animals.”

Online voting closes December 12th.