COMMUNITY TRUST WORKERS IMPROVE KITWANGA RECREATION

VICTORIA – Fifteen forest workers are building and upgrading recreation sites and trails in and around Kitwanga through $282,000 from the Community Development Trust’s Job Opportunities Program, Community Development Minister Kevin Krueger and Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell announced.

“The Job Opportunities Program is part of the Province’s comprehensive strategy to address the needs of workers, their families and communities being impacted by the current state of the forest industry,” said Krueger. “Our government wants to encourage forest-dependent communities to continue identifying projects that will qualify, and submit project proposals.”

“The Job Opportunities Program is using the skills of local forest workers to improve the recreation options for residents of Kitwanga,” said Bell. “The program helps by providing families with incomes and improved infrastructure, and the community maintain its skilled workforce.”

The workers are building a 3.2-kilometre loop trail in Upper Kitwanga that links the community’s recreation centre to the sports field and will provide residents with a walking trail, as well as upgrading some of the facilities.

“This project will benefit all surrounding communities and the walking trail and infrastructure upgrades will be an asset to our aging population,” said the Kitwanga Community Association’s Agnes Whitley. “This project has brought community members together, talking, laughing and watching what is going to happen next. The forest workers are doing a great job, are working hard and learning new skills.”

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

Forest-dependent communities or organizations, licensees and 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 over $16 million to support 93 projects which will employ more than 750 forest workers in communities across the province.

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

In the 2009/2010 budget, the Province committed an additional $30 million for further programs similar to those offered under the Community Development Trust.

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

Contacts:

Jennifer McLarty

Public Affairs Officer

Ministry of Forests and Range

250 387-4592

Leanne Ritchie

Public Affairs Officer

Ministry of Community Development

250 387-4089

Agnes Whitley

Kitwanga Community Association

250 849-5018




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