The Cariboo will be benefitting from $50,000 worth of provincial grants this year thanks to the Rural Dividend.
As part of its rural development mandate, the Province is providing $673,124 in project development grants to support rural communities throughout B.C.
In the fifth intake of the BC Rural Dividend program, 68 local governments, First Nations and not-for-profit organizations will receive funding to reinvigorate and diversify their local economies.
“It takes a lot of hard work to develop ideas that can stimulate local prosperity and create jobs for small communities,” Minister Doug Donaldson said, of the Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Rural citizens are resourceful, and the calibre of these project development applications reflects their ingenuity and commitment to community development.”
Read More: TNG receives rural dividend funding
Under the Rural Dividend project development funding stream, up to $10,000 is provided to eligible applicants to do preliminary work that is necessary to pursue larger community projects in the future.
Successful project development grants range from the Tsal’alh First Nation to develop a clean energy plan, to the Slocan and District Chamber of Commerce to create a resident attraction strategy for the North Slocan Valley, and the District of Houston for a housing needs assessment.
In Budget 2018, the Government of British Columbia committed to extending the $25 million per year Rural Dividend to 2020-21. Final decisions on project applications for single applicants (up to $100,000) and partnerships (up to $500,000) will be announced in February 2019.
The Rural Dividend is one aspect of the government’s rural development mandate, which is committed to making rural communities more resilient in the future.
Projects were selected on a range of criteria with priority given to those communities most in need. Some of these criteria included the potential to improve community resiliency and economic strength, the feasibility and sustainability of a given project, its projected economic impact on the community and its potential to attract and retain youth in the future.
The list of recipients of the fifth intake of the BC Rural Dividend for projects are as follows:
Cariboo
* Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (Williams Lake): $10,000
* Friends of Bouchie-Milburn Society (Bouchie Lake): $10,000
* Lillooet and District Chamber of Commerce: $10,000
* North Cariboo Agricultural Marketing Association (Quesnel): $10,000
* District of Wells: $10,000
Coast
* Bella Coola Valley Sustainable Agricultural Society: $9,982
* Black Creek Community Association: $10,000
* Cowichan Energy Alternatives Society (Cowichan Valley): $9,960
* Cutting Barriers Employment and Training Association (Squamish): $10,000
* Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce: $9,000
* Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation (Mount Waddington): $10,000
* Ladysmith Healthcare Auxiliary: $10,000
* Mount Cain Alpine Park Society (Mount Waddington): $10,000
* N’Quatqua First Nation (D’arcy): $9,903
* Penelakut Tribe (Cowichan Valley): $10,000
* The City of Port Alberni: $9,900
* Tourism Pemberton Destination Marketing Association: $10,000
* The Qualicum Beach Chamber of Commerce: $10,000
* Village of Sayward: $10,000
* Sechelt Downtown Business Association: $10,000
* Seven Hills Golf and Country Club (Port Hardy): $10,000
* Shawnigan Lake Historical Society: $10,000
* Sointula Recreation Association: $10,000
* Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (two projects): $16,002
* Sunshine Coast Tourism (Powell River): $10,000
* Vantage Point Strategies Society (Sechelt): $9,969
North
* Village of Burns Lake: $10,000
* District of Houston: $10,000
* Hudson’s Hope Health Care and Housing Society: $10,000
* Mackenzie Outdoor Route and Trail Association: $10,000
* My Recreational Mountain Cooperative (Terrace): $10,000
* City of Terrace: $10,000
* Terrace Downtown Improvement Area Society: $10,000
* District of Vanderhoof: $10,000
* Upper Nechako Wilderness Council (Vanderhoof): $10,000
* Whiskey Jack Nordic Ski Club (Fort St. John): $10,000
* Witset First Nation (Moricetown Band): $10,000
Thompson-Okanagan
* The Corporation of the Village of Ashcroft: $10,000
* Community Futures Development Corporation of Nicola Valley (Merritt): $10,000
* Cook’s Ferry Indian Band (Spences Bridge): $10,000
* Food Action Society of the North Okanagan (Vernon): $10,000
* Golden Community Social Services Coop: $10,000
* Lumby and District Chamber of Commerce: $9,500
* The Corporation of the Village of Lytton: $9,704
* The Corporation of the Village of McBride: $10,000
* Neskonlith Indian Band (Chase): $9,455
* O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society (Vernon): $10,000
* Penticton Indian Band Development Corporation: $10,000
* Town of Princeton: $10,000
* Ryga Festival Society (Summerland): $9,857
* Shuswap Lifeboat Society (Salmon Arm): $10,000
* Skul’qalt Forestry LP (Cawston): $10,000
* Snpinktn Forestry Limited Partnership (Penticton): $10,000
* Tsal’alh First Nation (Shalalth): $10,000
* District of Sicamous: $10,000
* Valemount and Area Recreation Development Association: $10,000
* Westhills Aggregates Limited Partnership (Penticton): $10,000
Kootenays
* Boundary Museum Society (Grand Forks): $10,000
* Castlegar and District Chamber of Commerce: $10,000
* Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce (Invermere): $10,000
* Columbia Valley Learning Centre Society (Parson): $10,000
* Community Futures Central Kootenay (Nelson): $10,000
* Greater Trail Community Skills Centre: $10,000
* Kootenay Sufferfest Society (Nakusp): $10,000
* The Nakusp and District Chamber of Commerce: $10,000
* Nelson’s Social Action Planning Network: $10,000
* Slocan District Chamber of Commerce: $9,892
Total: $673,124
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
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