The Town of Gibsons and the qathet Regional District in Powell River are sharing in $53,000 in grants for projects to reduce wildfire threats.
Most of the money is going to the qathet RD, which will get $45,000 to assist with education, planning, inter-agency co-operation, emergency planning and cross-training initiatives, and FireSmart activities on private land.
Gibsons is getting $8,295 to work on FireSmart-related planning
The Sunshine Coast Regional District has applied for similar grants, but there’s been no announcement about whether it will receive any funds this year.
“These grants support FireSmart activities right in our own communities and will help protect residents from wildfire threats,” said Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, in a release announcing the grants.
“The community resiliency investment funding will help Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities increase their resiliency to wildfire threats,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “The program is designed to support projects at the local level to help keep British Columbians safe.”
The community resiliency investment program was established in September 2018 with $50 million to assist local governments and First Nations lower wildfire risks around their communities. The government added an extra $10 million as part of its 2019 budget.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities administers the community resiliency investment program and processes grant applications. The deadline for the next round of applications is Oct. 18. Eligible communities facing a lower wildfire risk can apply for up to $25,000, while applicants facing a demonstrated higher wildfire risk can apply for up to $100,000.
