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$100,000 boosts core services in the Kootenays

Mungall makes announcement that benefits Nelson Innovation Centre
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Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall, left, speaks with Community Futures Central Kootenay Tech Knowledge worker coordinator Rose Hoeher, Nelson City manager Kevin Cormack and Nelson Innovation Centre project coordinator Paul Wiest during this week’s announcement. Photo: Alison Macdonald/Community Futures Central Kootenay.

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Nelson Star

The province is providing $100,000 for the Community Futures Development Corporation of Central Kootenay to support the development and implementation of five core services for the Nelson Innovation Centre.

Michelle Mungall, the MLA for Nelson-Creston, made the announcement this week through the BC Rural Dividend Program.

“By helping local people deliver projects they know will make a real difference for their communities, we are building a foundation for healthy, robust and sustainable economies across our region,” said Mungall.

“Projects like this demonstrate how we can support the amazing creative projects that are taking place in rural communities like ours” she continues. “The Nelson Innovation Centre has been integral to jumpstarting the flourishing tech sector in Nelson. This funding will help it grow the sector even more.”

The project will support the development and implementation of five core services for the Nelson Innovation Centre including: Community Building Events, Business Start-up and Acceleration Programs, and Access to Capital, Mentorship and Industry Outpost Programming.

This funding is part of $1,424,303 that was provided for nine projects in the Kootenays and nearly $8 million in 58 project grants being awarded to eligible local governments, First Nations and not-for-profit organizations through the BC Rural Dividend Program province-wide. Rural dividend grants help fund projects that support rural economies. Grants can be up to $100,000 each, or up to $500,000 each for partnership projects.

Earlier this month, nearly $5 million was granted to fund 30 projects in wildfire-impacted areas and two communities that were affected by the shutdown of local mills.

The rural dividend encourages economic diversification, innovation, sustainability and collaboration, and recognizes the diverse needs of individual communities. As part of Budget 2018, the Government of British Columbia committed to extending the $25 million-per-year rural dividend to 2020-21. The rural dividend is one aspect of government’s rural development mandate, which is committed to making rural communities more resilient.

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