A new funding initiative in the Slocan Valley will host a series of community meetings and an online survey during September and October.
Valley residents and organizations are welcome to contribute their ideas on what valley-wide projects would benefit the area the most.
With support from Columbia Basin Trust, the Slocan Valley Economic Development Commission (a body of the RDCK) is launching the Slocan Valley Directed Fund. The CBT initiative helps sub-regions (a group of communities from a recognized area) to come together to plan, set priorities and allocate funds for the long-term betterment of the area as whole. The funds are to benefit the entire area, not individual local community projects.
The Slocan Valley, through the Economic Development Commission will receive $300,000 in the first three years with the hope that the funding continues.
According to Leah Main, chair of the commission, “It’s a good news story, but not without a challenge. The good news is we get $100,000 a year for three years from CBT, and get to create our priorities and the process to use the money. Doing that, of course, is also the challenge.”
There will be 10 meetings held in the valley, some open community sessions, where all ideas for projects will be discussed and some with a specific theme.
Meeting dates and an online survey may be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/slocanvalley and paper versions may be obtained through Village offices and the Economic Development Commission at (250) 226-0064.