COMMUNITY TRUST RESTORES MCLEOD LAKE HISTORIC SITES

MCLEOD LAKE – Forty-four forest workers are restoring several McLeod Lake landmarks thanks to $721,294 from the Community Development Trust’s Job Opportunities Program, Community Development Minister Kevin Krueger and Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced today.

“The Job Opportunities Program is employing local forest workers to preserve McLeod Lake and British Columbia’s history,” said Bell. “It’s a great way to improve facilities for residents and visitors, while supporting our skilled and diverse workforce.”

The McLeod’s Lake Post Historical Society will use $468,428 to remove danger trees, develop interpretive trails, restore the Tse’Kehne village cemetery fence, and conduct building and site maintenance at St. Michael’s Historic Church and the McLeod Lake Post. The McLeod’s Lake Centennial Club is directing $252,866 to renovate the Centennial Club hall and grounds, which function as an integral part in the area’s emergency plan and a venue for receptions, elections, community celebrations.

“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 Krueger. “I want to encourage forest-dependent communities to continue identifying projects that would qualify and submit project proposals.”

“The Job Opportunities Program funds will provide short-term employment options for local forest workers, allowing families to stay together while the forest sector recovers,” said Sharon Dugan, McLeod’s Lake Post Historical Society. “We’re lucky because the Historical Society, Centennial Club and the McLeod Lake Indian Band are working together to create future jobs in a place where locals and visitors come to experience a piece of history and enjoy the outdoors.”

Originally established in 1805 as Fort McLeod and later named McLeod Lake Post, the community has the unique designation as ‘the longest most active occupied settlement north of San Francisco and west of the Rockies.’

The $26.25-million Job Opportunities Program helps reduce the impact of current layoffs on workers employed in the forest industry, retain skilled forest workers for the anticipated future upturn, and preserve the characteristics of the labour force in forest-dependent communities.

A forest-dependent community or organization and forest licensees or forest contractors working in cooperation with a forest-dependent community, are eligible to submit a project proposal to the Job Opportunities Program. To date, the program has approved $10.7 million to support 65 projects which will employ more than 525 forest workers in communities across the province.

The Job Opportunities Program is one component of the Community Development Trust, announced in May, 2008. 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.

-30-

Media

Contact:

Vivian Thomas

Communications Manager

Ministry of Forests and Range

250 387-5728

Sharon Dugan

McLeod’s Lake Post Historical Society

250 750-4577

Leanne Ritchie

Public Affairs Officer

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.