Whereas all communities in British Columbia directly provide, or provide financial support for some level of, recreation services to their residents; And whereas many communities in British Columbia have aging recreation infrastructure built by volunteers or through borrowed funds; And whereas recreation services are an essential component of all vibrant communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of BC to reinstate funding programs that assist local governments in rehabilitating or rebuilding existing aging recreation infrastructure to ensure small community sustainability and promote physical activity for all residents of small communities.
Ministry of Municipal Affairs The Ministry of Municipal Affairs Ministry recognizes the multifaceted value that recreation infrastructure provides residents of communities across BC. The Ministry also appreciates the challenges some communities face with the responsibility of maintaining sustainable infrastructure. The Ministry continues to offer opportunities to support local government capital projects that support recreation services. Over the last 15 years, the Ministry has administered, or partnered on, several infrastructure programs that included recreation as an eligible project category. Current examples of this include the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program ICIP Community, Culture and Recreation stream and the Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program CERIP. The Ministry will continue to work with UBCM to identify future opportunities with other provincial Ministries and the federal government to continue providing valuable funding support to local governments.