Government officials of BC and invited guests to the economic diversification program announcement on Monday morning The British Columbia government has announced it will invest up to $33 million in 2022-2023 in funding that local governments, First Nations and other organizations looking to diversify rural and remote economies can apply for. In a press release issued on Monday, the government announced the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), which will support projects that promote economic diversification, resilience, clean growth opportunities and infrastructure development. “People across rural PK are passionate about their communities and incredibly resilient in the face of challenges,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “As part of our StrongerBC economic plan, we are working shoulder-to-shoulder with local governments and First Nations to help diversify local economies to support good, stable jobs for people for years to come.” Communities will be eligible for funding through three streams:
Economic Diversification: Projects that design or implement programs, services and infrastructure to support economic development and diversification in communities with a population of 25,000 or less (maximum funding $1 million) Economic Capacity: Projects that build local capacity and improve the ability to support economic development and diversification in communities with a population of 2,500 or less (maximum funding $100,000) Transitioning Forest Impacts: Projects supporting economic recovery and diversification in affected forest-dependent communities (maximum funding $500,000)
“Leaders in rural and indigenous communities across B.C. they work tirelessly to build economies that provide stable employment, stable services and exciting economic opportunities for their residents,” said Roly Russell, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Development.
“Our government is helping to build that resilience through a range of initiatives and I’m excited to add REDIP to that list. From capacity building to internet connectivity to improved and new infrastructure, we’re working with communities in every corner of the province for people to thrive wherever they live.” The application period opens on November 15 for local governments, indigenous communities and organizations, indigenous development companies and non-profit organizations. REDIP is funded in part by $185 million earmarked in the 2022 provincial budget to support forestry workers, industry, communities and First Nations who may be affected by restrictions on old-growth logging. A second round of funding could begin in the new year.
