The B.C. government has provided more than $490,000 in grants to five local governments and one First Nation in the Northwest Fire Centre to support wildfire-risk-reduction initiatives and help keep communities safe.

More parents in northwest B.C. will see dramatic savings as six child care sites are welcomed into the $10 a Day child care program.

People in 55 communities throughout the province, including 14 communities in the North, will benefit from more than $17 million in grants in lieu of municipal property taxes this year.

Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, has issued the following statement on his visit to Wet’suwet’en territory:

It is not just the start of a new school year for Walnut Park Elementary students and staff – it is also the opening of a school with spaces for 440 kindergarten to Grade 7 students.

The B.C. government has provided more than $1.5 million in grants to 11 local governments and First Nations in the Northwest Fire Centre to support wildfire risk reduction initiatives and help keep communities safe.

Vulnerable and low-income people in Houston, Kitimat and Smithers will be better supported thanks to almost $75,000 in government funding for local poverty reduction strategies.

People in Smithers who are at risk of harm or victimization will benefit from a $45,000 grant to create a community-based team of front-line workers to deliver better, faster access to services.