COMMUNITY TRUST FUNDS PRINCE GEORGE TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS

PRINCE GEORGE – Through the Job Opportunities Program, Prince George will receive $166,411 to improve safety on the Cranbrook Hill Greenway trails, Community Development Minister Blair Lekstrom and Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced today.

“The Job Opportunities Program is part of the Province’s comprehensive strategy to address the needs of communities being impacted by the current state of the forest industry,” said Lekstrom. “This project will help forest workers, and at the same time build recreational and tourism assets in Prince George.”

Prince George will receive $166,411 from the Community Development Trust’s Job Opportunity Program to remove mountain pine beetle-killed trees and hazard trees with root-rot on the Greenway Trail, improve safety for trail users and reduce fire hazards. The project, to be done in partnership with the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Society, will employ up to six displaced forest workers.

“These funds are a bridging resource to deal with the severe economic challenges facing mill dependent communities,” said Bell. “Prince George has been hard hit by the downturn and I’m inspired to see they saw the value of this opportunity to create employment and focus on key city projects.”

“Prince George is very pleased to be receiving these funds,” said Mayor Colin Kinsley. “Our city has been impacted by the economic downturn and putting some of the displaced workers to work on important civic projects is a win-win. We’re exploring ways to create new opportunities, expand work and create partnerships that will benefit the community and our citizens. This is a great start.”

“The many skilled forestry workers living Prince George deserve the opportunity to stay in our community as we wait for the industry's inevitable upturn,” said Prince George-Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond. “The Job Opportunities fund will allow workers and their families to remain in Prince George, and the community will benefit by retaining their skills and experience for the future.”

The Job Opportunities Program is making $26.25 million in funding available over the next three years and is targeted at providing short-term employment opportunities in forestry-dependent communities facing economic and social challenges due to the downturn in the forest industry.

The objectives of the program are to reduce the impact of current layoffs on workers directly employed in the forest industry, retain skilled forestry workers for the anticipated future upturn, and preserve the characteristics of the labour force in forestry-dependent communities.

Forestry-dependent communities or organizations and forest licencees or forest contractors working in co-operation with a forestry-dependent community are eligible to submit a project proposal to the Job Opportunities Program. So far, 101 submissions from across British Columbia have been received.

The Job Opportunities Program is one component of the Community Development Trust, which was announced in May of this year. B.C.’s share of the federal trust is $129 million over three years, with funds also directed to a Tuition Assistance program and Transition Assistance for Older Workers program.

For more information about the Community Development Trust and Job Opportunities Program, go to: www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt

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Media contact:	Marc Black Communications Manager Ministry of Community Development 250 387-4089	Sophia Proctor Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-5728
	Dan Adamson City of Prince George 250 614-7891
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