The Government of Canada is helping the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) and the Fraser Basin Council Society improve their capacity to produce biomass and ethanol fuels and broaden the scope of the current Aboriginal Forest Information Directory.
Funding of $128,000 was announced today by Dick Harris, Member of Parliament for Cariboo-Prince George, 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 and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. Funding is provided through the Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI), a component of the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program.
"These investments will enable the region to diversify their economy and explore new sources of economic growth," said MP Harris. "The Government of Canada is helping turn the challenges created by Mountain Pine Beetle into new economic opportunities for local communities."
"The projects announced today are examples of how the Government of Canada is addressing the needs of communities affected by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation," said Minister Lunn. "Through this support, our government is helping impacted communities turn challenges into economic opportunities."
Federal funding of $88,000 will support the Cariboo Regional District to study the production of ethanol fuel and energy generated from local wood waste, both as alternatives to landfilling and burning. The study will provide communities in the regional district vital information needed to determine the benefits and costs associated with developing new sources of energy.
"We are grateful for the funding as it brings the CRD closer to its goal of developing a biomass fuel plant to deal with the incredible amounts of wood waste and solid waste throughout the region," states CRD Chair, Jon Wolbers. "Not only will this project deal with waste in an environmentally friendly manner, but will also provide much needed jobs and economic opportunities in light of the struggling forestry sector."
Additional funding of $40,000 will enable the Fraser Basin Council Society to hire a coordinator to contact aboriginal natural resource management businesses to gather information for the Aboriginal Forest Information Directory, redesigning the website and advertising the directory in trade journals, trade shows and other venues. This will result in increased economic opportunity for Aboriginal businesses and entrepreneurs in the Cariboo Chilcotin region.
"Developing aboriginal businesses will improve employment opportunities in aboriginal communities. With this funding, Fraser Basin Council Society will be able to hire an aboriginal contractor to build the directory and raise awareness of aboriginal businesses in the natural resource management sector," said Fraser Basin Council Society director Chief Ervin Charleyboy, who is also Chief of Alexis Creek Indian Band, and Tribal Chief of the Tsilhqot'in National Government.
Managed by Western Economic Diversification Canada, CEDI will invest more than $33 million over two years in communities most at risk from the beetle infestation. The program supports a wide range of projects that further economic growth, job creation and future community sustainability.
The CEDI program is part of the Government of Canada's $200 million comprehensive response to mitigate the short-term and long-term effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation on B.C.'s forestry sector. This federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program is led by Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) and Transport Canada.
Western Economic Diversification Canada is a department of the Government of Canada that works in partnership with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy as well as to represent the interests of the West in national decision-making.
For more information on the federal Mountain Pine Beetle Program, please visit: http://mpb.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications_e.html
For additional information, contact:
Catherine Brown
Communications Officer
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Tel: (604) 666-1306
Shelly Burich
Manager, Communications
Cariboo Regional District
Williams Lake, B.C
Tel: (250) 392-3351
