Community projects will be getting more funds this spring through Columbia Basin Trust’s popular Community Initiatives and Affected Areas programs. The Trust has just announced a 15 per cent increase from $3.6 million per year throughout the Basin, to over $4.2 million per year for each of the next five years.
In Revelstoke that adds up to $404,269. Last year, local organizations received $339,519 in Community Initiatives and Affected Areas funding.
“We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with local governments and First Nations to identify local priorities and deliver benefits to Basin communities,” CBT President and CEO Neil Muth said in a statement announcing the funding increase. “The ultimate goal is to support the projects that are important to residents, and we know this increase will help communities do more.”
Started in 1998, the Community Initiatives and Affected Area programs are the Trust’s longest-running granting programs designed to help address the needs of Basin communities. The CBT distributes funds to local government and First Nation partners once a year, and communities then use various methods — from local Council decisions to votes from residents (thatr is the method used here) — to decide which projects will receive grants.
“We are very pleased that CBT has decided to increase the funding for this program,” Revelstoke Mayor Mark McKee said in the statement. “Over the past 18 years, the program has provided significant support for many community projects that could not have proceeded without the funds provided by the Trust, and these projects have really benefitted our residents and improved their quality of life in many ways.”
The new five-year commitment totals over $21 million and extends to 2021.
To learn more about the programs and view upcoming deadlines visit cbt.org/cipaap.
Please go to cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998 for more information about the way the Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of the people in the Columbia Basin.
Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs: Annual Funding 2016/17–2020/21
All areas receive Community Initiatives funding, while the communities and areas around the Arrow, Kinbasket, Duncan and Koocanusa reservoirs that were most affected by the construction of the Columbia River Treaty dams also receive Affected Areas funding. In Revelstoke, members of organizations seeking Community Initiative and Affected Area funding meet at the Community Centre in the late winter. Applicants each have a few minutes to make their case for a grant and the audience then votes for the 10 projects they think deserve financing. Only members of groups seeking funding are allowed to actively participate and vote. A committee appointed by Revelstoke City Council then reviews all of the voting forms and recommends a list of successful applications to Council and the CBT. Practically speaking, very few groups are denied funding.
Below is a list of the municipalities and native bands that have access to Community Initiatives and Affected Area funds.
| Local Government | Annual Funding |
| City of Revelstoke | $404,269 |
| Ktunaxa Nation Council (four bands) | $144,900 |
| Shuswap Band | $36,225 |
| Regional District of Central Kootenay | $1,486,213 |
| Regional District of East Kootenay | $1,197,531 |
| Regional District of Kootenay Boundary | $354,973 |
| Town of Golden | $325,562 |
| Village of Valemount | $261,950 |
