 |
|
VICTORIA – Residents of each of B.C.’s 187 local governments are benefiting from infrastructure funding or other grants totalling $185 million, announced through the Ministry of Community Development this spring, helping to create jobs and build stronger communities.
The funding includes:
· Towns for Tomorrow: 110 projects in communities across B.C. will share almost $37 million in federal and provincial funding, supporting the infrastructure needs of communities with populations under 15,000. Since 2007, 154 projects have been funded.
· LocalMotion: 51 projects are receiving nearly $11 million in federal and provincial funding to help build cycling and pedestrian infrastructure. Since 2007, 122 projects have been funded through the LocalMotion program.
· Trees for Tomorrow: 129 projects are sharing approx. $3 million in provincial funding from this first round of the program, supporting the planting of trees and the implementation of other energy-saving initiatives across British Columbia.
· Infrastructure Planning Grants: 69 projects will receive over $660,000 in funding to assist municipalities and regional districts with plans to design, develop and manage sustainable infrastructure.
· Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program: the 174 communities to sign the BC Climate Action Charter, committing to the goal of becoming carbon neutral in their corporate operations by 2012, have received $1 million through this program, an amount equal to 100 per cent of the carbon tax they have directly paid for fossil fuel purchases.
· Strategic Community Investment Fund: the Province has provided the first $133-million instalment from this restructuring of provincial grant programs, providing communities more funding sooner, giving greater certainty and improved financial flexibility. This includes:
o $63 million from the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing Program, helping municipalities enhance policing and community-based public safety programs. Since its expansion in 2004, B.C.’s Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program has put an additional $263 million into local government coffers to improve public safety and policing.
o $70 million from the Small Community and Regional District Grants, supporting local governments to provide services in areas with smaller tax bases. This year’s payment fulfils the Province’s commitment to double these grants over four years.
For more information on the funding committed to individual B.C. communities, visit http://www.cd.gov.bc.ca/ministry/whatsnew/supporting_communities.htm online.
-30-
|
contact: |
Ministry of Community Development 250 387-4089 |
|
|
|
||
|
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. |
||
