National

B.C. announces one-time billion-dollar growth fund

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Feb, 2023 02:05 PM

SURREY, B.C. - Every community in British Columbia will be eligible for infrastructure grants coming from a one-time $1-billion government fund.

Premier David Eby says the money has been set aside in the provincial budget surplus, which was estimated at $5.7 billion last fall.

He says he expects the government's Growing Communities Fund grants to help local municipalities improve roads, build arenas and water facilities and improve recreation options for families.

The premier says the grants are available to B.C.'s 188 municipalities and regional districts, and can be used to prepare for future growth and build amenities to support housing developments.

Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says the province's investment is much needed by Surrey, the fastest-growing city in B.C.

Eby says the individual grant amounts will be calculated on a population formula and distributed by the end of March.

"This is a one-time, billion-dollar investment to help communities meet the demands of record population growth, aging infrastructure and support those communities impacted by downturns, for example in the forestry sector," Eby said at a news conference Friday.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Storms ease severe drought for B.C.'s south coast

The province's online drought map shows most of southern B.C., including east Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver, is now ranked at drought Level 3, which means adverse drought impacts are possible. That's a drop from the most severe Level 5 rating, which covered much of the Island and inner south coast until this week.

Storms ease severe drought for B.C.'s south coast

Health Canada greenlights updated Moderna booster

It comes two months after Health Canada authorized a bivalent booster from Moderna that targeted the Omicron BA.1 subvariant and the original strain. Health Canada says a bivalent booster triggers "a strong immune response" against both of the more recent Omicron subvariants,as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strains.

Health Canada greenlights updated Moderna booster

Feds to permanently end interest on student loans

Interest rates will still apply on the provincial portion of a student’s loan. While this move is helpful for students graduating, said Rebekah Young, director of fiscal and provincial economics at Scotiabank, it is ultimately relief for interest payments on debt rather than money toward tuition or other post-secondary school expenses.

Feds to permanently end interest on student loans

Care home changes aim to give families more say

Mable Elmore, parliamentary secretary for senior services, says changes to the residential care regulation will strengthen the voices of resident and family councils. The councils, which she likened to residential stratas, are groups of people who meet regularly to promote the collective interests of residents and discuss concerns.

Care home changes aim to give families more say

Five highlights from the fall fiscal update

The word “inflation” appears more than 100 times in the document, making clear the government's primary economic concern. But beyond the top-line debt projections and the analysis of how Canada seeks to soften the impact of a potential recession, the fiscal update offers key details that shed light on Liberal priorities.

Five highlights from the fall fiscal update

Man dies in B.C. prison 40 years after sentencing

Darcy Sidoruk was 18 years old in 1982 when he pleaded guilty and was sentenced for the shooting two years earlier of family friend Yvonne Doucette in Dawson Creek. Sidoruk also admitted to shooting 19-year-old James Pitt, who picked him up hitchhiking outside Dawson Creek, shortly after the murder of Doucette.