FSJACL receives BC Parks Foundation grant

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The BC Parks Foundation has announced this year’s Spark Grant recipients, and among them is one Fort St. John non-profit. 

On May 5th, 2026, nine organizations across the province were named recipients of the grant, including the Fort St. John Association for Community Living.

According to a release from the BC Parks Foundation, the BC Parks License Plate Program supports the grants in part through funding, contributing to BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion. 

The release said the BC Parks’ Commitment to Inclusion is a province-wide effort ensuring parks are accessible to all, focusing on barriers including transportation, equipment, coordination and access to knowledgeable guides, identified by community groups. 

In the four years the Spark Grants have been awarded, they have supported over 33,000 participants and provided over 155,000 hours in BC’s parks, the release said. The grant has given over $600,000 to underrepresented communities.  

Jared Braun, stewardship manager for the Fort St. John Association for Community Living (FSJACL), said the association received $10,000 from the grant. 

According to Braun, the grant will help the organization follow through with something it has previously been planning.

“We had talked as a team about being able to take the individuals we support on some kind of summer camping experience,” Braun said. “When we found out that BC Parks had a grant that could make that possible, we were glad to apply.” 

According to its website, the FSJACL aims to provide those with developmental disabilities and complex needs the opportunity to achieve full and meaningful lives. 

Braun said the plan is to host a camping trip this summer at Beaton Provincial Park.

“The reason for choosing Beatton Park is it has a number of accessible options for people with wheelchairs,” he said. “[You know] paved paths, open spaces, and the fact that it’s near to Fort St. John, we hope to be able to have tents or campers for those who are able to stay and do a couple [of] overnights.”

Now the association has been awarded the grant, Braun said the team will meet to determine the best time for the camping trip.

“It will probably be later in the summer, because we’ll obviously need to reserve the sites and [just] get the logistics together,” he said. 

People who have been part of the FSJACL have been asking when they will go camping again, but a lack of resources has limited their ability to do so, according to Braun.

“A highlight that had come up across the years was camping experiences,” he said. “[And] unfortunately, [just you know] lack of resources and ability to do that, it had been several years.” 

Braun said one of the things the association often does is break down ‘misinformation’ about what people with development disablityis or complex needs can do.

“I think often without understanding, a lot of people assume [that] there are high limitations and [so] things like camping would not be something that people with a developmental disability or complex needs would maybe want to do, or could do, or would be allowed to do, and we love breaking those myths,” he said. 

According to the BC Parks Foundation, over 50 community groups have received support from the Spark Grants since they launched. 

For more information on this year’s recipients, visit the BC Parks Foundation website.