Rural Dividend Grants to Support 16 Community Project Projects in the Cariboo

About $1.4 million dollars will be dished out to support 16 community projects through Rural Dividend grants.

The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development made the announcement Wednesday.

The District of Wells is one of nine that has been awarded $100,000.

“It’s to go towards funding support for our creative learning centre which at present is our community school and we want to do some investigations into what we can do with the school and how we can upgrade it and make it more useful for the community and all of the groups that use it,” says Mayor Robin Sharpe.

Sharpe says after investigating what the centre needs there will be discussions with community groups to find out what they would like to see in the school.

Other Projects in the Cariboo include:

• $100,000 to the Deka Lake and District Ratepayers Association to enhance tourism and water safety by expanding public access points to four lakes in the 100 Mile House area and making improvements to boat launching and swimming areas.
• $100,000 to the Tl’etinqox Government to equip and furnish a 24-hour First Nation architecturally designed gas bar and convenience store on Highway 18 that will host a weekly farmers’ market and function as a tourist centre.
• $100,000 to ?Esdilagh First Nation to use beetle-killed wood to build a cultural arbour as part of a reconciliation, healing and tourism destination centre in the community. Partners include the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association, West Fraser Timber Ltd. and Zirnhelt Timber Frames Ltd.
• $100,000 to the Big Lake Community Association to develop a community forest agreement application and forest management plan in partnership with Likely Xatsull Community Forest Ltd. that will benefit the communities of Big Lake, Likely and Soda Creek/Deep Creek.
• $100,000 to the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium Society to support phase 2 of a mountain bike trail system at the Desous Mountain Recreation Site west of Williams Lake, in partnership with the Williams Lake Cycling Club.
• $100,000 to the Cariboo Regional District to expand the network of low-mobility wilderness trail, increasing access for more users. The project is in partnership with Big Lake Community Association, Horsefly District Board of Trade, Alexis Creek Development Society, Parks BC and Recreation Sites and Trails BC.
• $100,000 to the City of Quesnel to encourage visitors to stop and explore the city by installing new signage, planning design features such as public art at strategic locations, and creating walking tours and points of interest to feature in the community’s brochures and website.
• $100,000 to Community Futures Development Corporation of Cariboo Chilcotin to encourage owners of small and medium-sized businesses to improve succession planning through workshops, mentoring and pre-approved professional support.
• $99,000 is being awarded to the Barkerville Heritage Trust to review and update online and print materials for Barkerville Historic Town and Park, translate them into additional languages, and develop multi-media stories to be shared online and through social media.
• $80,000 to the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association to provide emergency preparedness training to the tourism sector in the region.
• $80,000 to the Nazko First Nation to complete a marketing plan for the Three Nations General Store and Lodging, develop and launch a website, and train culinary staff.
• $76,600 to the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation to study how physical and natural assets in the territory can support a tourism industry in Secwepemc communities.
•  $72,305 to the Fraser Basin Council to implement Project Comeback in Quesnel in partnership with the BC Rural Network, City of Quesnel and Community Futures. The project aims to attract and retain young adults to B.C.’s rural communities through workshops, surveys and community-led marketing.
• $70,500 to the Williams Lake Central Business Improvement Area Association to launch the Colourful Cariboo Culture branding and marketing project to attract more visitors to the city’s downtown.
•  $46,777 to Alexis Creek First Nation to support domestic sales and international exports of its Crazy Horse Energy Drink, made with ingredients the First Nation has used for centuries.

The Rural Dividend program provides grants of up to $100,000 each for single applicants and up to $500,000 for partnerships to help rural communities stabilize their economies and create long-term local employment.