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Funding announced for community projects

Summerland has received funding for two community projects.

Summerland has received funding for two community projects.

At the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Victoria last week, Summerland council was told funding had been approved for an upgrade project at Summerland’s sewage treatment plant.

The upgrade project is a grit removal and filtration bed system, at a cost of more than $3.2 million.

The municipality applied for funding through the New Canada Building Canada Fund — Small Communities Fund.

At the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention last month, Premier Christy Clark informed Summerland council that the province was about to launch a new infrastructure funding program and that Summerland was one of the first communities approved under the new Clean Water and Waste Water Fund.

Under this funding program, the federal government will pay 50 per cent of the costs, the province will pay 33 per cent and Summerland will pay 17 per cent.

In the past, funding was divided evenly between the federal government, the province and the municipality.

The provincial share of the upgrade is $1,045,004 and Summerland’s share is $538,366.

“Council has brought the importance of this project to the attention of the province — and this has paid off with the announcement of the success of the application for funding,” Mayor Peter Waterman at the municipal council meeting on Tuesday evening.

In addition, Summerland has received $100,000 for the economic development initiative under the provincial Rural Dividend Fund program.

The municipality will hire an Economic Development Project Coordinator for a one-year period.

The coordinator will work with the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development.

 



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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