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NEWS RELEASE
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August 20, 2009 |
Ministry of Community and Rural
Development |
B.C.
SUPPORTS 40 WORKERS WITH $1.8M TO IMPROVE HERITAGE
VICTORIA
– Some 40 laid-off resource workers will develop new skills while restoring
historic sites at Cottonwood House, Quesnel Forks, Hat Creek Ranch and Fort
Steele, thanks to $1.875 million from
the Community Development Trust Job Opportunities and Tuition Assistance
Programs, announced Bill Bennett, Minister for Community and Rural Development
and Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.
“Four
groups of 10 workers each will practice their skills on some of British
Columbia’s most popular historical towns and at the end of their work, some
will receive heritage building conservation certificates that qualify them for
future work in heritage restoration,” said Bennett. “Whether it’s assembling
log buildings at the Cottonwood House Historic Site, or repairing heritage
equipment at Fort Steele, these projects will not only use the skills of
laid-off resource workers, but ensure we can maintain those historic sites in
the future.”
At the Cottonwood House Historic Site near Quesnel, $457,309 will
employ 10 workers to complete restoration work on the site, buildings, historic
equipment and trails. Work activities in this project will include
re-establishing fencing, forest debris cleanup, trail restoration, interpretive
signage installation, repairing the inside and outside of heritage buildings
and the upgrading and chinking of log structures.
At the Quesnel Forks Restoration site near Likely, $399,360 will be
used to employ 10 workers to restore three heritage sites in the Quesnel Forks,
Cedar Point Park and the Bullion Pit Lookout. The team will repair historical
displays, equipment and buildings, including three cabins. They will also
construct 500 metres of trail, brush 500 metres of water ditch and establish
eight mining equipment displays.
“B.C.
heritage sites are an essential part of the province’s history,” said Krueger.
“These programs will give workers specialized training in heritage building
restoration, skills that are critical for the long-term preservation and
management of our heritage sites, so we can ensure visitors continue to have
authentic heritage experiences.”
At the Hat Creek Ranch near Cache Creek, $462,536 will employ 10 workers to complete restoration work to
heritage buildings, equipment and trails. They will re-establish fencing,
upgrade campsites, clear forest debris and install signage and kiosks. They
will also repair historical equipment and wagons and chink log structures.
“In addition to creating immediate employment, these projects maintain
diverse and skilled workforces,” said Minister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell.
“As we expand export markets, bio-energy projects, and increase commercial
construction with wood, these communities will be better positioned to take
advantage of the resulting opportunities and benefits.”
At the historic Fort Steele Heritage Town near
Cranbrook, $353,351 will employ 10 workers to restore and upgrade buildings,
heritage equipment and trails. The workers will repair road surfaces, clean up
forest debris and install interpretive signage. Additionally, they will repair
kiosks and repair or upgrade fencing. The project will also involve work on up
to three kilometres of trails, up to 18 buildings, 10 pieces of heritage
equipment items and up to two kilometres of restored road.
The Tuition Assistance Program is also providing $203,000 to deliver
certificate training to workers in the field of heritage restoration at the
Cottonwood House Historic Site, Barkerville Historic Town and the Hat Creek
Ranch. Parts of the training are also being delivered at Fort Steele, Quesnel
Forks and McLeod Lake Post near Mackenzie.
The
Province first announced the Job Opportunities and Tuition Assistance Programs
in May 2008 as two components of the federally-funded $129-million Community Development
Trust. In July 2009, the provincial government committed an additional $30
million toward the Job Opportunities program, which the federal government is
matching on a project-by-project basis through the Community Adjustment Fund.
The Province
of British Columbia’s contribution to the Job Opportunities Program is part of
its commitment to provide stability for workers and communities, to maintain
the workforce during the economic downturn, and to help British Columbians gain
new skills to be successful in the future.
For more information about the Job Opportunities
Program, go to www.cd.gov.bc.ca/cdt/.
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Media Contact: |
Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Community and Rural Development 250 387-4089 |
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