Village of Salmo receives $75K federal Gas Tax Fund contribution for Community Sustainability Planning Project
By Contributor
The Village of Salmo was able to get in on the late Christmas presents after receiving a $75,000 federal Gas Tax Fund contribution towards a comprehensive update of the Village’s Official Community Plan (OCP) hybridized with integrated community sustainability planning.
“The project will bring the Village of Salmo’s antiquated OCP into conformance with the Local Government Act and its corresponding requirements including land use, active transportation planning, growth management, infrastructure planning, GHG objectives and community energy and emissions reduction plans,” says Chief Administrative Officer Diane Kalen-Sukra.
“This vital planning project would not have been possible without this federal Gas Tax Fund contribution and the backing of Salmo’s community groups who wrote letters in support of our grant application.”
The grant application was widely supported by community groups, including the Salmo & District Chamber of Commerce, Valley Trails Society, Curling and Rink Association, Celebrations Society, Childcare Society, Girls Softball Association among others.
The sustainability planning process will take about two years and involve extensive community consultation.
Quick Facts:
- The Salmo Official Community Plan: Shaping a Sustainable Future is receiving $75,000 from the federal Gas Tax Fund – one of 30 capacity building projects being funded through this Strategic Priorities Fund for 2016.
- The Village of Salmo is also contributing $30,000 to the project.
- The total estimated cost of this project is $105,000.
- The Union of BC Municipalities administers the Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.
- Each year, the Government of Canada provides over $253 million in indexed funding for local government infrastructure projects across British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund. The funding can be spent on any eligible project the community prioritizes across a broad range of eligible project categories, or it can be pooled with other communities for regional projects, banked for later priorities or used to pay for financed projects.
“Through the federal Gas Tax Fund, the Government of Canada is allowing communities in BC, and all across Canada, to make informed decisions about their infrastructure investments and how best to spend federal dollars. Community officials are best positioned to identify their specific needs, and the federal Gas Tax fund supports them in making those strategic investments,” said Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.
These 57 projects will contribute to building the strong, inclusive and sustainable communities Canadians desire to live in.”
