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WILLIAMS LAKE – The Province will provide $267,500 to the City of Williams Lake to transform Courthouse Square into a Spirit Square to celebrate British Columbia’s 150th anniversary in 2008 and create a meeting place that will host community events for years to come, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
“Through our B.C. Spirit Squares program, we’re creating a legacy of BC2008, helping ensure our public gathering places reflect each community’s unique character, heritage and cultural diversity,” said Campbell. “This is Williams Lake’s opportunity to showcase the Cariboo lifestyle and provide residents and visitors an even better, more inviting place to connect as a community. I congratulate Mayor Nelson and the entire community for its vision to move this project forward.”
Funding will be used to enhance the current square as a public gathering area, improving keynote events such as the Farmers Market and Christmas Light-Up and broadening its use for a range of new events. Features will include a sculpture, pathway connections to neighbouring streets to encourage pedestrian traffic, and new lighting to increase safety and promote greater use of the square.
“We’ll be giving Courthouse Square
a fresh, new and inviting look,” said Mayor Scott Nelson. “Our plan is to
create a space that welcomes families, seniors and visitors to join in our
regular events and connect more on a regular basis.”
The $20-million B.C. Spirit Square program is helping to create or improve outdoor public meeting/celebration spaces based on 50/50 cost-sharing with local governments, to a maximum provincial contribution of $500,000.
B.C. Spirit Squares is one of four programs announced by Premier Campbell at the 2006 Union of BC Municipalities convention, aimed at making B.C. communities greener and healthier places to live, with reduced greenhouse gases, improved air quality and increased energy conservation. The other programs are LocalMotion, Towns for Tomorrow, and the Green City Awards. For more information about B.C. Spirit Squares, and for links to these other programs, visit www.spiritsquares.gov.bc.ca online.
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contact: |
Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218 |
Communications Manager Ministry of Community Services 250 356-6334 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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