A pair of recent financial injections totalling nearly $2.8 million have been awarded to Bowen Island Municipality by the B.C. government, including half-a-million dollars to complete the next phase of the Multi-Use Path.
The B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program grant of $500,000 was announced last month as part of $20 million in funding allocated province wide. Goals of the grant stream are to promote increased walking, cycling, and transit options in B.C. communities.
“Active transportation is important to Bowen Islanders given their keen interest in recreation and ecology,” said mayor Andrew Leonard in a news release. “This significant funding towards the Multi-Use Path is sincerely appreciated,” he added.
The Multi-Use Path project began in 2017, and currently stretches from the ferry terminal in Snug Cove west to Grafton Road at Artisan Lane. Phase 4 will extend the MUP to the next road over, Charlie’s Lane.
The provincial dollars are flowing into the municipality through other sources too – on Friday more than $2 million was awarded to the island through the Growing Communities Fund. This stream helps local governments focus on infrastructure projects of their choosing.
“Our community values self-resilience but is quickly outgrowing its current infrastructure. This funding from the province will be gratefully applied to the mounting infrastructure deficit costs our small community is facing" said Leonard.
The $2,287,000 received by Bowen is part of a $1 billion provincial investment in the new Growing Communities Fund. Each municipality in B.C. received a one-time payment based on population and growth.
It’s now up to the municipality to decide which projects the money will be best used on.
