Under the BC Rural Dividend Program, the Government of British Columbia is providing more than $2 million to fund 20 projects for community organizations and First Nations in wildfire-impacted communities in the Cariboo Region, Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, announced today.

Rabbit owners in the Nanaimo area are asked to take precautions after numerous dead feral rabbits were found on the campus of Vancouver Island University, and in the Rotary Bowl area.

The B.C. government is protecting more wildlife habitat areas for the northern goshawk and marbled murrelet to help populations of these birds recover, Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing nearly $60,000 for six cultural, social and infrastructure projects on mid-Vancouver Island, Scott Fraser, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, and Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA for Courtenay-Comox, announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing $10,000 each to the District of Sechelt and the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society, Nicholas Simons, MLA for Powell River-Sunshine Coast, announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing $30,000 to Lax Kw’alaams Business Development, Metlakatla Development Corporation and the Central Coast Regional District, Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and MLA for North Coast, announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing $39,136 to support community projects in the Cowichan Valley and Gulf Islands, Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing $10,000 each to the BC Marine Trails Network Association, Cortes Island Seniors Society and the Village of Gold River, Claire Trevena, MLA for North Island announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing over $103,000 for cultural, social and infrastructure projects in the Kootenay region, Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall and Kootenay-West MLA Katrine Conroy announced today.

As part of its rural development mandate, the Government of British Columbia is providing a total of $49,960 to five community organizations and First Nations in the Thompson Region, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson announced today.