On Tuesday, the provincial government and Northern Development Initiative Trust announced $2.1 million in funding to support projects in communities grappling with the impacts of the LNG Canada and Coastal GasLink natural gas projects.
A transitional housing project and 24-hour childcare centre in Kitimat, a Foundry Centre offering mental health and addiction treatments for young people in Terrace and the hiring a childcare project manager to oversee construction of a childcare centre in Mackenzie were among the eight projects which received funding through the Northern Health Communities Fund on Tuesday.
"Terrace and District Community Services Society is very grateful to the Northern Development Initiative Trust for awarding our charity a grant for $500,000 to be used to bring a permanent Foundry Terrace centre to our community," said Michael McFetridge, executive director of the Terrace and District Community Services Society. "This is a major project for our region and community to enhance and increase the health and wellness resources available for youth and their families."
Construction of the $11.2 billion, 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline and $40 billion LNG Canada natural gas export terminal in Kitmat has resulted in “unprecedented growth,” in small communities across northern B.C., NDIT CEO Joel McKay said.
“These are once in a generation, perhaps once in a lifetime, projects,” McKay said.
The projects are boosting local government capacity and supporting social programs across the north, he added.
“It’s an incredible privilege to deliver these funds,” McKay said. “I’ll note, there is more dollars available. The next intake closes in February.”
Northern B.C. MLA Nathan Cullen, who serves as minister of water, land and resource stewardship and previously served as minister of municipal affairs, said to date the Northern Healthy Communities Fund has supported 54 projects with a total of more than $7.1 million.
The provincial government is committed to improving access to services for people across northern B.C., Cullen added.
The Town of Smithers received funding to hire a consultant to implement part of the town’s recently-completed childcare plan, a first aid training program in Smithers, funding for the Village of Fraser Lake to upgrade the village’s curling rink to a year-round community hall, and funding for an additional food bank worker at the Salvation Army’s Fort St. John food bank. Each of the projects received between $27,000 up to a maximum of $500,000.
“We only have 1,000 residents and we’ve always had limited resources,” Village of Fraser Lake CAO Rodney Holland said. “This funding tips the scales and makes projects like our community hall happen.”
