For Release
November 15, 2007
Cranbrook, British Columbia – The federal and
provincial governments are investing more than $1.8 million to turn an
abandoned railway into a 25-kilometre urban trail that connects Cranbrook
to Kimberley, reduces greenhouse gases and encourages residents to be
more active. Jim Abbott, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian
Heritage, and Bill Bennett, MLA for East Kootenay, today announced the
contribution through the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
(CBCMRIF).
“The rails to trails project will convert this unused railway grade
into a community recreational trail, encouraging residents of Cranbrook
and Kimberly to be active and get outdoors,” said Mr. Abbott, on
behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen’s
Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister
of Western Economic Diversification. “Our Government is working
in partnership, through the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural Infrastructure
Fund, to build healthy, prosperous communities.”
The funding enables the City of Cranbrook to turn an abandoned railway
along Highway 95A into a 25-kilometre, three-metre wide commuter and recreation
path that connects to existing trails in Cranbrook and Kimberley. Also,
the recently abandoned railway line provides a timely opportunity to link
the region’s two largest communities and complete a section of the
Trans Canada Trail that connects the Kootenay region with Alberta. This
project is conditionally approved pending the successful completion of
an environmental assessment.
“Our government’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 33 per cent by 2020 and funding projects like this help us get closer
to that goal,” said Bennett. “We are also pleased to partner
with the federal government and the City of Cranbrook in helping to make
this community greener, providing residents with an alternative to driving
and encouraging them to get outside and be more active.”
Under the initial CBCMRIF Agreement signed in June 2006, the federal
and provincial governments each committed $51 million to the fund, with
participating local governments expected to make up the remaining costs.
This year, the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C. have each
provided an additional $23.5 million to the Canada-B.C. Municipal Rural
Infrastructure Fund as part of their commitment to help smaller communities
meet their pressing infrastructure needs. This additional funding brings
the total federal and provincial investments and matching local government
contribution in CBCMRIF projects to over $220 million.
The majority of the funding is targeted towards communities of fewer
than 250,000 people and at least 60 per cent of the funding will assist
with “green projects” such as drinking water supply, treatment
and distribution needs as well as wastewater and energy efficiency projects.
The remaining funds will be dedicated to other projects like tourism,
recreation and other infrastructure.
More details on the program are available through the Canada-British
Columbia Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund website, at www.canadabcmrif.ca.
For additional information, contact:
Karl Yeh
Western Economic Diversification Canada
604 666-4714
Marc Black
B.C. Ministry of Community Services
250 356-6334
