Sea to Sky Corridor organizations are benefiting from recently announced Government of BC grants.
The grants facilitate projects that promote diversification, clean growth opportunities, and infrastructure development.
According to the provincial government’s website, this 2024-2025 intake is the final one for this Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP).
This intake opened on July 4 and closed on Oct. 31, 2024.
REDIP was launched by the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, with a funding allocation of $33 million per fiscal year from 2022 to 25.
A May 21 provincial government release announced that the District of Squamish is being granted approximately $400,000 for the creation of ‘Circular Economy Opportunities’ in the region, an education initiative concerning waste reduction and the re-use of materials.
The S2S Outdoor Adventure Recreation Enterprise Society (SOARE) is receiving around $200,000 to expand its Basecamp Innovation Centre.
SOARE is a non-profit physical and virtual space that facilitates networking for those in the outdoor recreation industry to share their skills and resources.
Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Jeremy Valeriote, wrote a statement on his Facebook page about this project’s approval.
“Wonderful to see funding for SOARE Basecamp in the province's Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program,” he said.
“The Sea to Sky is already a leader in the outdoor recreation industry, and this will further diversify our economy for stable, sustainable growth.”
In another post, Valeriote shouted out several of the other corridor projects that received the funding.
The Squamish Climate Action Network Society is being granted approximately $140,000 for its Let’s Grow Food! program, an initiative for education about sustainable home-grown food.
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) will receive $80,000 to conduct a preliminary feasibility study for the Squamish Valley Training and Trades Centre (TTC).
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Líl̓wat7úl Cultural Centre (SLCC) received, by far, the most funding out of the government’s Mainland/Southwest projects this year, with its cafe, catering and gift shop due to receive close to $1 million for renovations.
Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief's Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter.
This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
