$3.1 million in federal and provincial funds are coming to the Sunshine Coast to pay for some projects on the wish lists of the four local governments.
John Weston, MP for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country, made the announcement at Gibsons municipal hall Wednesday afternoon.
Weston said the funds found their way to the Coast because of good communication and co-operation between the local governments, the provincial and federal governments.
"Certainly people know that Sunshine Coast exists, in Ottawa," Weston said. "Our voices were being heard. The communication was excellent."Most of the funding comes in parcels for specific projects each local government has applied for.
The Town of Gibsons will receive $400,000 to fund the Gibsons aquifer mapping program, a study aiming to understand the quantity and quality of the Town's source waters. The money comes from both the federal and provincial governments through the Towns for Tomorrow program.
Another $50,000, from the Trees for Tomorrow program, is coming to Gibsons for the Gibsons and Area Community Centre landscaping project to beautify the area around the centre.
The District of Sechelt will be getting $375,000 from the Towns for Tomorrow program to upgrade East Porpoise Bay Road including a widening of the road, adding a bike lane and new gutters, curbs and sidewalks. Sechelt will also receive $25,000 for naturalization and planting diversification for Mission Point Park, from the Trees for Tomorrow program.
The Sunshine Coast Regional District is set to receive $400,000 from the Towns for Tomorrow Program to make upgrades to the Granthams Landing water system as well as $10,000 from the Infrastructure Planning Grants program to help fund their recycling services review.The Sechelt Indian Government District has been allotted $39,909 for the purchase and installation of playground equipment.
Also included in the $3.1 million are funds the local governments have been given in past years, repackaged to be more efficient through the Strategic Community Investment Fund, a provincial grant program to assist local governments with operations.
Both the Town of Gibsons and District of Sechelt will receive just over $600,000 each from the fund, while the SCRD will receive $247,330. The Sechelt Indian Gov-ernment District will receive $372,713.
The District of Sechelt will continue to receive traffic fine revenues, all of which were from fines laid in Sechelt. The total this year is $89,627.
The funding announcement earned enthusiastic praise from members of all the local governments, but each described it as simply "a good start."
Garry Nohr, vice chair of the SCRD board, said the Granthams Landing project was essential for the safety of water and would help put people to work when it is needed the most.
"I think that's terrific for those folks. Now they can be guaranteed clean water. That's my number one reason I've run for regional district," he said. "With all these projects coming online, one after another, there's going to be lots of opportunities for people to get employed."Nohr added that every bit of funding was great, but there was still more work to be done.
"It was really quite good to see that everybody got something, except the regional district is waiting for some bigger projects," he said.Gibsons Mayor Barry Janyk said the aquifer mapping study will help the Town in all aspects of future planning from climate change action to growth capacity.
"It will tell us what we can achieve for the future for the community," he said.
Janyk added that the badly needed funding was timed well, but said there were plenty more projects the Town has applied for and has not yet received funding, including new sidewalks for Gibsons Way and a geo-thermal heating project.
"The fact that they are rolling these funds out to us couldn't come at a better time," he said. "This is a good start, but I do expect there will be some other infrastructure announcements made in the next couple of months."
Sechelt Mayor Darren Inkster said the East Porpoise Bay Road project is badly needed and will result in hiring local labour, but he still has his eyes on provincial and federal funding for an expansion of the airport and a new sewage treatment plant for the District.
