Media Contacts

Media Relations

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource
Operations and Rural Development
250 356-7506

Backgrounders

Rural dividend funded projects for wildfire-impacted areas in the Cariboo
  • The District of 100 Mile House is being awarded $86,986 to create a sustainable-heating system and upgrade washrooms at historic Martin Exeter Hall in order to meet occupancy standards and improve accessibility.
  • The Cariboo Regional District is being awarded $75,000 to develop construction-ready design plans for an aircraft staging area and full runway overlay at the South Cariboo Regional Airport, which serves the south Cariboo area from 108 Mile Ranch.
  • The Cariboo Regional District is being awarded $335,000 under the rural dividend’s special circumstances provision for the North Cariboo Trail Development Project – completing two trail networks over a two-year period, with two more to follow, and partnering with the College of New Caledonia to develop training programs for trail design, planning, building and marketing.
  • Cariboo Ski Touring Club is being awarded $10,000 to buy and install portable snow-making equipment at its main Hallis Lake venue, near Quesnel.
  • The Lillooet and District Chamber of Commerce is being awarded $99,550 to implement a regional tourism and economic development plan, including development of Tourism Lillooet, a tourism ambassador program and a regional tourism familiarization tour. The Rural Dividend Program funded an earlier tourism and marketing project.
  • Loon Lake Road Community Recreational and Agricultural Society is being awarded $1,607 to install new appliances and a new sound system at the Loon Lake Community Hall.
  • The Northern Secwepemc Cultural Society is being awarded $100,000 to identify items its five-member First Nations wish to display in a proposed museum and cultural centre. In an earlier intake, the Rural Dividend Program funded construction documentation for the centre.
  • The Potato House Sustainable Community Society is being awarded $10,000 to hire staff and support marketing, renovation and compost programs at The Potato House Project, a community initiative to celebrate one of the last standing heritage houses in downtown Williams Lake.
  • The City of Quesnel is being awarded $100,000 for a waterfront development plan at the confluence of the Fraser River, Quesnel River and Baker Creek that is based on stakeholder engagement and considers planning, economic development, archeological and engineering issues.
  • The City of Quesnel is being awarded $250,000 under the rural dividend’s special circumstances provision to market the city as a four-season destination for visitors and residents, and to target investors to diversify the economy.
  • The Quesnel Downtown Association is being awarded $68,000 to create a marketing plan to inform the public about the Reid Street revitalization project in the downtown core, and ensure customers continue to access businesses during the construction.
  • The Quesnel Shelter and  Support Society is being awarded $99,458 to create and sustain Rebuild Junction, a second-hand building supply and junk-removal business that offers skills development and opportunities for individuals who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or experiencing other significant barriers to employment.
  • The Barkerville Heritage Trust is being awarded $100,000 to work with the Lhtako Dené Nation, and other Indigenous partners in the region, to design and implement Indigenous tourism with interpretive and cultural activities and programming.
  • Ulkatcho First Nation is being awarded $56,960 to train 16 community members to use a portable sawmill, so the business can expand and increase employment in the community.
  • The District of Wells is being awarded $85,000 to determine the feasibility of extending municipal boundaries, including public and First Nations consultation, infrastructure and environmental reviews, and mapping.
  • The District of Wells is being awarded $299,450, under the rural dividend’s special circumstances provision, to hire community members to complete corridor wildfire mitigation and community/corridor beautification — a project that is linked to the community’s recovery plan.
  • The Wells and Area Trail Society is being awarded $10,000 to implement the second phase of the Cornish Mountain ski trail development, including a link to a five-kilometre loop trail being built by the Wells-Barkerville Community Forest and West Fraser Mills.
  • The City of Williams Lake is being awarded $48,000 to develop an investment master plan to guide future development of airport lands and address infrastructure upgrade requirements.
  • Williams Lake Indian Band (T’exelc) is being awarded $100,000 to support a marketing strategy for its Coyote Rock community development, which features T’exelc culture and the Coyote Rock brand.
  • Xatśūll First Nation (Soda Creek Indian Band) is being awarded $96,544 to complete the design and construction of 8.52 kilometres of cross-country and downhill trails, and provide advanced training in trail planning, construction and maintenance for 12 local youth and community members.