Communications and Signage

A news release acknowledging CCBF funding should include (at least):

• Project overview
• Quotes from Infrastructure Canada, provincial Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and local elected officials (coordinated by UBCM Communications Officer)
• Funding acknowledgement from CCBF
• A brief description of CCBF
• To obtain quotes from Infrastructure Canada and Municipal Affairs, contact UBCM Communications Officer, Zoë Ducklow (zducklow@ubcm.ca, 604-270-8226 ext. 222), who will coordinate on your behalf. A minimum of 15 working days’ notice is required, per the Agreement. Along with the draft news release, it is helpful to include a summarized funding breakdown of the project, indicating how much CCBF funding contributed to the overall, and sources of other funding (i.e., general reserves, other grants, etc.)

Examples of events include groundbreaking, ribbon cutting, or grand opening. More than 15 days’ notice is appreciated for invitations to in-person events, but is not required. In-person events acknowledging CCBF funding should include:

• Invitation to representatives from Infrastructure Canada and BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs (coordinated through UBCM Communications Officer)
• Invitation to local dignitaries, community partners
• Notice to local journalists
• Photographer
• An accompanying news release, to be distributed immediately following the event

Posts to social media do not require quotes from or notice to partners. Please tag UBCM and Infrastructure Canada.

• Facebook: UBCM, INFC-English   
• X (Twitter): UBCM, INFC-English
• LinkedIn: UBCM, No need to tag INFC on LinkedIn

Recommended hashtag is #CCBFinBC.

Physical signage acknowledging CCBF funding is recommended during the construction phase of CCBF-funded projects for any project that uses more than $100,000 from the CCBF. Signage design files are provided by Infrastructure Canada.

Sample copy describing CCBF from real news releases:

• A variety of local infrastructure projects were made possible in 2023 by the Canada Community-Building Fund, a predictable and permanent source of funding provided to municipalities as a way to support local priority projects.
• “The Community Works Fund is delivered twice annually and enables local governments to make choices about which eligible projects get funded that are important to their own community,” said Mayor Tom Dyas. “This recurring federal government funding, administered by UBCM, allows the City of Kelowna to plan ongoing investment in our municipal infrastructure, without relying entirely on property taxation.”
• The Canada Community-Building Fund started in 2005-2006 and is a permanent and predictable source of long-term funding so communities have the flexibility to invest across 19 different project categories, including local roads and bridges, culture and tourism, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and sport and recreation.
• The Canada Community-Building Fund is a permanent source of federal funding for local infrastructure, administered by the Union of BC Municipalities. Funds are provided to communities upfront, twice a year, and can be strategically invested across 18 project categories to address local priorities. Municipalities can also pool, bank and borrow against this funding.

• News release — Project launch: Cumberland issued a news release to announce the start of a major infrastructure project. Future updates can link back to this initial release. The release includes a project overview, quotes from Infrastructure Canada, BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and local elected officials. It was distributed to local journalists and shared on social media.

• Ribbon cutting event and news release — Project completion: Thomson-Nicola Regional District hosted a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of a pedestrian suspension bridge. Representatives from Canada and BC were invited. Photos and a news release were distributed and shared on TNRD’s social media pages.

• News release — Year-end project review: Rather than one project, Chilliwack published a review of all the projects it invested CCBF money into during the year. The release includes quotes from Infrastructure Canada, BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and local elected officials. It was distributed to local media and shared on social media.