Rural Eligibility

Whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs Housing has Salt Spring Island listed as Rural in the Community Charter, however, certain Regional Districts have been excluded from rural focused programs, namely those located within the Capital Regional District and therefore considered urban. Urban does not reflect their geography, population, demographics, or land use; And whereas 30 years ago the Federal Government designated Salt Spring Island, the Southern Gulf Islands and Juan de Fuca as urban for reasons that remain unclear to this day. Though these rural areas are included within the Capital Regional District CRD they are clearly not urban. The urban designation does not reflect their geography, population, land use, or capacity to sustain rural services: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that Provincial funding programs reflect the rural status of the electoral districts within the CRD, as categorized within their Community Charters. Specifically, we believe it would be equitable to have these districts also included in the ICE-T program and to have the exception to the Rural Dividend Fund converted to permanent inclusion status as well as access to any other provincial government rural programs; And be it further resolved that UBCM delegates request BC Premier Horgan to write to the Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, responsible for Western Economic Diversification of Canada, to request that the Minister designate the Electoral Districts of the CRD eligible for Community Futures funding and other federal grant programs targeted to rural communities.