The Kanaka Bar Indian Band and Crossing Place Housing Society receive funding to construct new multipurpose community building in Kanaka Bar

Government of Canada investment will help communities in Lytton and the surrounding areas build back from last year's devastating wildfires

LYTTON, BC, May 27, 2022 /CNW/ - Shared public spaces are the heart of communities across Canada. They bring together people of all ages and abilities, supporting businesses, and stimulating local economies. As Lytton works to revitalize its communities following the tragic 2021 wildfires, these public spaces have never been more important.

Upgrading exisiting infrastructure and building new public assets will be a key step in the restoration process, by strengthening community engagement and boosting economic vitality.

Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced an investment of $471,000 through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund (CCRF) for the Crossing Place Housing Society. The Crossing Place Housing Society is a non-profit housing operator created by the Kanaka Bar Indian Band.

This funding will allow the Housing Society to construct a new multipurpose building in Kanaka Bar, complete with community kitchen and garden, shared laundry facilities, and meeting rooms.

Project activities will include completing sitework, building the modular structure, and creating an emergency backup power system. The new building will provide an essential gathering area for residents of the Kanaka Bar Indian Band and several neighbouring Indigenous communities – a place to host family and cultural events, in addition to serving as an regional emergency evacuation centre.

The CCRF was launched in June 2021. It is providing $500 million over two years for Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs) to invest in projects that build and improve community infrastructure. The Government of Canada is committed to rejuvenating public spaces to make them safer, greener and more accessible. This will stimulate local economies, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for Canadians.

Quotes

"Initiatives like the CCRF are facilitating critical upgrades to community infrastructure across Canada, but this is of utmost importance in Lytton, where communities have been devasted by recent wildfires. This investment will greatly assist residents as they work to rebuild a healthy, resilient community and strengthen local economic opportunities."

-        The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

"Everything changed for Lytton residents last year when fires and other extreme weather events destroyed 90% of our town. This CCRF funding for a new multipurpose community building at Kanaka Bar will benefit an entire region, and we are most grateful for the support we have been extended. With this investment, we are able to explore new options for building and retrofitting safe and resilient spaces for not only local residents, but for all Canadians well into the future."

-       Chief Patrick Michell, Kanaka Bar Indian Band

Quick Facts

• CCRF funding supports two major streams of activity so that communities can:
• adapt community spaces and assets so that they may be used safely in accordance with local public-health guidelines, and/or
• build or improve community spaces to encourage Canadians to re-engage in and explore their communities and regions.
• Eligible recipients include not-for-profit organizations; rural, municipal or regional governments; Indigenous groups and communities; and public sector bodies that provide municipal-type infrastructure.
• Priority may be given to projects that encourage the participation of underrepresented groups and take into consideration the unique challenges of rural and remote communities.

Associated Links:

• Pacific Economic Development Canada
• Canada Community Revitalization Fund
• Kanaka Bar Indian Band

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SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada

Haley Hodgson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development, [e-mail]; Ben Letts Communications Manager, Pacific Economic Development Canada, [e-mail]