Fort St. John receiving over $5 million

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John will receive over $5 million of the $14 million being provided to northeast B.C. communities through the province’s Growing Communities Fund.

City officials will decide where the funding will be used at a future council meeting.

All 188 municipalities and regional districts in the province received a portion of the one-time grant of over $1 billion.

Funding for northeast communities:

• Chetwynd: $1,464,000
• Dawson Creek: $3,942,000
• Fort St. John: $5,724,000
• Hudson’s Hope: $905,000
• Northern Rockies Regional Municipality: $1,920,000
• Peace River Regional District: $2,383,000
• Pouce Coupe: $819,000
• Taylor: $1,095,000
• Tumbler Ridge: $1,530,000

According to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the grants were distributed using a formula beginning with an initial $500,000 per municipality or district. The funding was further adjusted based on population size and growth between 2016 and 2021 based on BC Stats data.

“I know that our local governments are working hard to keep up with the growing demands of their communities. Through cross-government co-operation, we can address the unique needs in each community to ensure they can thrive into the future,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs. 

“These grants will support projects that each community needs the most, like new affordable housing and child care facilities, road improvements or recreation centres.”

Each government will be required to report the use of the funds in its annual financial statements, and the ministry will provide further guidance on the use of the funds in the coming weeks.