Five West Kootenay municipalities will receive millions of dollars for major infrastructure projects thanks to a federal fund, but several other local governments are left hoping for better luck next time.
Let’s start with those who will share a piece of $152 million from the Strategic Priorities Fund, to be divided among 54 projects across BC:
• Slocan will receive $963,000 to rebuild the north part of Harold Street.
Government infrastructure programs are routinely oversubscribed, so it’s no surprise that not everyone got what they wished for.
The Strategic Priorities Fund was open to local governments outside of Metro Vancouver and intended to help build and expand large-scale infrastructure.
Each municipality was able to submit one application in the capital infrastructure category and one application in the capacity building category, to a maximum of $7 million each. Regional districts were able to submit up to four applications, with a maximum of three in the capital infrastructure category.
Applications were submitted last September, but announcements on funding were only announced in late July.
Among those projects that did not receive funding:
• Rossland requested $7 million to replace the Wagon Road sewer line.
“Unfortunately, we were not successful in our first grant application for the wastewater line replacement between Rossland and Warfield and we don’t anticipate there being further announcements associated with this current intake,” mayor Andy Morel said.
“Our council and staff will be continuing to pursue any and all further grant opportunities that support municipal infrastructure upgrades from both levels of senior governments for this important piece of infrastructure.”
• Grand Forks sought $7 million to tackle below-ground infrastructure work.
“We will continue to apply on other opportunities to fund this work, but as far as the strategic priorities opportunity, we did not receive funding,” city manager Duncan Redfearn said.
• The Regional District of Central Kootenay asked for $7 million to offset the cost of building a second sheet of ice at the Castlegar and District Community Complex.
(The City of Castlegar specifically chose not to apply for a project to avoid competing with the RDCK’s arena application, communications manager Ginger Lester explained.)
The RDCK also submitted applications for the Creston septage receiving facility, an arena refrigeration replacement and digital control project for the Creston and Nelson community complexes, and for asset management work.
• The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary applied for $5.9 million to expand the Christina Lake fire hall.
They also requested $3 million to improve energy efficiency at the Grand Forks aquatic centre and $1.5 million to conduct a risk assessment of the RDKB’s critical infrastructure.
The Union of BC Municipalities, which administers the Strategic Priorities Fund, said all applications are scored based on a list of criteria.
Applicants have to demonstrate that their project is “large, regiona, or innovative” and aligns with the program’s objectives. Applications are scored by a technical staff team and decisions are approved by a separate committee based on those scores.
It’s not yet known when the fund’s next intake will be. The fund was created in 2024 as a 10-year program.
