The City of Quesnel received a big boost to its riverfront plans on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The City’s grant application for more than $850,000 was approved by Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).
The grant is for three components of the City’s riverfront plan: renewal of the Fraser River Footbridge landing, Indigenous interpretive elements along the riverfront, and improved lighting between the footbridge and G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital.
This grant — $855, 559 in total — is the largest single investment Northern Development has made through its Strategic Initiatives Fund program.
Quesnel council approved applying for the grant at its Aug. 25 regular meeting.
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The City asked for more than $350,000 to assist in the footbridge renewal and lighting projects, while providing over $90,000 for each project from the 2021 gas tax fund. Indigenous signage received $110,000, with $28,000 in funding coming from Quesnel’s 2021 budget.
Quesnel’s waterfront plan was approved in December of 2019, and it is expected to be completed over two decades. The plan won an award earlier this year for excellence in planning practice from the Planning Institute of B.C.
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Mayor Bob Simpson said he was thrilled to get funding from Northern Development for another project.
“This particular investment will enable us to accelerate the implementation of our waterfront development strategy, a key component of our plan to position Quesnel as an attractive destination for visitors, residents and investors,” he said in a news release.
The CEO of the NDIT, Joel McKay, added investments like this can go beyond just beautification.
“The Quesnel waterfront project is a multi-pronged initiative that will transform the city’s historic waterfront into a destination, creating new opportunities for growth, job creation and revenue,” he said.
An additional $400,000 was approved for projects in other municipalities in northern B.C.
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