LANGFORD – New Democrat MLAs Mitzi Dean and John Horgan say that a historic investment of over $44 million for the West Shore will enable the community to fund key projects, ensuring that people have services they can rely on as the population grows.
“People in our communities will soon be benefitting from new and improved amenities and infrastructure through the Growing Communities Fund,” said Mitzi Dean, MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin. “I’m thrilled that our government is supporting municipalities so that we’re able to meet the demands of our growing population.”
As communities continue to grow, local governments are having to meet increased strain on infrastructure and amenities including, roads, transit, water and electrical systems, as well as community centers, parks and social services. The Growing Communities Fund is a landmark investment that will see the BCNDP government distribute $1 billion across B.C.’s 188 municipalities and regional districts to support their unique needs.
On the West Shore, the following local governments are receiving funding:
- Colwood, $6,642,000
- Highlands, $1,661,000
- Langford, $16,464,000
- Metchosin, $2,438,000
- Sooke, $5,939,000
- Capital Regional District, $11,559,000
“As our region continues to grow, we need to ensure that our infrastructure and amenities are keeping up with increasing demand,” said John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “This funding will be a huge asset to our area as people continue to move to our thriving community.”
This one-time fund supports the Union of BC Municipalities’ (UBCM) 2022 Resolution EB58, Improving Provincial Grant Process, and recommendation five of their 2021 report, Ensuring Local Government Financial Resiliency. The grants are intended to complement, rather than displace, existing infrastructure funding (like sewer, water, roads).
Learn More: https://news.gov.bc.ca/28303