The Comox Valley Regional District has received $723,000 to assist with community recovery and the COVID-19 pandemic response through the BC Safe Restart Grant Program.
“We are thrilled to see grant funding being delivered to the community level,” said CVRD board chair Jesse Ketler. “Each local government received funding to invest back into community recovery and resiliency as we navigate these challenging times. At the CVRD we are focusing our efforts on supporting vulnerable populations, promoting food security and improving resiliency to deliver the services residents use daily.”
On Dec. 15, the CVRD board approved the funds to be allocated based on:
•Emergency operations preparedness and community support - $200,000
•Community partnerships and vulnerable population response through the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)
•Emergency Operations Centre technology and systems upgrades
•Promoting local food security and supporting vulnerable populations through the Comox Valley Community Foundation - $100,000
•Information technology resilience to support safe work, public engagement and effective service delivery – $100,000
•Rural fire department support for increased preparedness and personal preparedness equipment – $40,000
•Unallocated BC Safe Restart grant program funds, totalling $283,000, will be retained for future considerations as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the region. Unallocated funds would be primarily dedicated to the following projects:
Recreation services
Rural community hall support
Food aggregation and promoting local food security