The District of Fort St. James will be able to plan for upgrades to the local Fort Forum Ice Arena and ensure the continuation of community recreational programs, thanks to a $23,950 grant from the Province.

“This project is a good example of a community planning for the future to support healthy families,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “The special circumstances provision of the Rural Dividend was specifically designed to assist communities undergoing economic hardship, such as those impacted by wildfires.”

The funds will be used to develop a plan for the replacement of the Fort Forum ice-plant system and options to reduce the use of ammonia, improve maintainability and conserve energy.

“On behalf of the District of Fort St James, I would like to thank the BC Rural Dividend Fund for recognizing the need for assistance that small rural communities require in order to pay for much-needed services,” said Mayor Rob MacDougall. “In our case, a grant of $23,950 will help develop planned upgrades to our arena, the Fort Forum.”

This fall, $3,281,179 in special circumstance funding has been awarded to eligible B.C. communities and organizations undergoing economic hardship.

As part of Budget 2018, the Government of British Columbia committed to extending the $25-million per year Rural Dividend to 2020-21. The Rural Dividend is one aspect of government’s rural development mandate, which is committed to making rural communities more resilient.

Learn More:

District of Fort St. James: http://fortstjames.ca/

Rural Dividend: www.gov.bc.ca/ruraldividend