Last week the provincial NDP government announced that communities across the province will receive millions of dollars as part of a series of grants from a $1 billion fund aimed at supporting growing infrastructure needs.
The City of Kimberley will receive $3.4 million, while the Regional District of East Kootenay receives $3.7 million.
The funding was determined and distributed with an initial $500,000 per city or regional district, then adjusted based on per-capita population growth between 2016 and 2021.
“Our communities are growing and this puts more pressure on community centres, parks and swimming pools that families rely on. To help, we’re providing the single largest provincial investment in communities in B.C.’s history,” said Premier David Eby, in a news release. “The new Growing Communities Fund will help local communities get building. Growing communities need our support and this funding will make a big difference for everyone.”
While it won’t affect this year’s financial plan, which is almost ready to be presented for adoption, Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick welcomed the announcement.
He explained the while it was one-time funding it can’t be used for any operating costs, but there are any number of infrastructure projects in Kimberley it could be applied to.
“We have projects where we have applied for grants several times and haven’t been successful,” he said. “That’s something this money could be used for. It’s also important to keep our reserves healthy.”
“I know that our local governments are working hard to keep up with the growing demands of their communities. Through cross-government co-operation, we can address the unique needs in each community to ensure they can thrive into the future,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “These grants will support projects that each community needs the most, like new affordable housing and child care facilities, road improvements or recreation centres.”
With a file from Trevor Crawley
carolyn.grant@kimberleybulletin.com
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