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PRINCE
GEORGE – Forest workers will begin a new phase of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Trail project as well as improving the Beaverly Community
Park through $690,000 from the Community Development Trust’s Job Opportunities Program, Forests and
Range Minister Pat Bell, Prince George–Mount Robson MLA Shirley Bond
and Community
Development Minister Kevin Krueger announced today.
“The extension of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Trail project will benefit additional Prince George forest workers, as well as offering all residents improved outdoor recreation opportunities at one of Prince George’s most accessible sites,” said Bell.
“The recreation areas
that are being upgraded are important to the residents of our community,” said
Bond. “We also want to ensure that we continue to support displaced forest
workers with the jobs this program can provide. The Community Development Trust
is making a difference for northern families.”
The $412,351-project involves six forest workers upgrading the Cranbrook Hill Greenway and includes the construction or rerouting of six kilometres of trail, the felling of about 700 hazard trees, the building and placement of 50 log benches, fuel management work along 25 kilometres of trail as well as some invasive plant removal, tree chipping and trail surfacing.
“The Community Development Trust is one of our key tools to assist forest workers and their families and communities through this difficult time,” said Krueger. “This funding will help provide a total of 18 jobs while improving recreation in the Prince George area.”
“This funding
will help upgrade trails and recreation sites that are already used by a wide
variety of Prince George-area residents and visitors,” said Bill Bennett,
Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “These sites and trails are
important to the social and economic well-being of local communities and
contribute to the diversity of our province’s tourism offerings.”
“I am very appreciative of the continuation of this project as it provides much needed support to some of our forestry workers in our community,” said Prince George Mayor Dan Rogers. “The work they will be doing will not only make the Greenway safer for the recreating public, but it will also help reduce wildfire hazards.”
A second project will involve 12 forest workers removing danger trees, brushing and upgrading a total of about 11 kilometres of trails at the Beaverly Community Park and the Dusty Trail Riders recreation site. The felled danger trees will be chipped and used to surface sections of the trail. The project will also likely include the construction of 600 metres of new trail at the Beaverly Site. The sites are used by runners, walkers, cyclists, cross-country skiers and horseback riders. The project is being led by LTN Contracting Ltd., which is operated by Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and Roga Contracting Ltd.
“The Job Opportunity
Program will provide work for our forestry workers impacted by the downturn,”
said Lheidli T’enneh’s Chief Dominic Frederick. “This program puts food on
their tables, money into our economy, and gives hope for the future.”
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 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 |
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Troy Young LTN Contracting Ltd. 250 564-1883 |
Dan Adamson City of 250 614-7891 |
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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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