The province is presenting a pot of money to rural communities to help diversify and strengthen their economies, the potential of which isn’t lost on locals.
Over the next three years the provincial government is handing out $75 million — $25 million per year — to communities with populations under 25,000 through its newly created BC Rural Dividend.
Last Thursday, Minister of Forests Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Steve Thomson, announced to a group of locals at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Merritt that the first wave of applications were being accepted between April 4 and May 31.
Among those who attended were members of the Nicola Valley Community Theatre Society, which has been trying to build a movie theatre and performing arts centre downtown. Currently the group needs to raise $3.2 million to cover the cost of construction.
Theatre society directory Rich Hodson said these funds likely present the biggest opportunity his group has of getting funding from the provincial government.
A single applicant or entity can apply for up to $100,000 for community-driven projects, but must contribute at least 20 per cent of the total project cost. Individuals and groups can also partner together and apply for up to $500,000, and must contribute 40 per cent of the total project cost. Applicant contributions can include in-kind contributions of up to 10 per cent.
Minister Thomson said the government is willing to consider funding beyond these amounts in special circumstances.
Local governments, not-for-profit organizations and First Nations are all eligible to apply for the funding.
Thomson said the community theatre project being taken on by locals could fit the bill for these funds as long as the application shows that it will create jobs, contribute to economic diversification of the community and keep people in town.
“I expect it would meet the criteria, [but] they have to go into the mix with everything else,” Thomson said, adding that there’s been a lot of interest expressed in this funding.
The funding is available to projects under four categories — community capacity building, workforce development, community and economic development, and business sector development.
Two waves of applications will be accepted this year.
Successful applicants will be announced by the end of the summer, with the next intake taking place in the fall.
Thomson told the Herald the government will try to spread the funding evenly around the province, but ultimately the quality and the nature of the applications will drive the decisions, he said.
Unsuccessful applications can be resubmitted for future intakes.
Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart noted the theatre society’s movie theatre project as having the potential to benefit from this funding.
“There may be other groups in the community we’re unaware of that have a project that is almost shelf-ready, and we’d encourage them to take a look at these dollars and get their applications in.”
City of Merritt economic development officer Will George told the Herald that action items outlined in city plans such as its age-friendly action plan and wayfinder signage strategy are potential projects that could benefit from this funding.
Lennard Joe, chairperson of the Nicola Tribal Association (NTA) told the Herald he thinks this funding has the opportunity to bring multiple groups together and work on mutual goals.
He said he’s considered the Gateway 286 project — a First Nations-led development project of Crown land located at the junction of highways 5 and 97C, where the visitor centre is located — as a potential benefactor of this funding.
