The province is investing $1.5 million to help rural businesses and communities in the north recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Thursday, the B.C. government announced the funding – part of a $4.5 million province-wide initiative – to bolster the rural economy. The funding will be administered and distributed by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT).
"We are pleased the Province recognizes the impacts of COVID-19 on the people and businesses that are essential to northern B.C.," NDIT CEO Joel McKay said in a press release. "The StrongerBC recovery plan will invest some much-needed funds into this region."
The funding is expected to create about 60 temporary jobs province-wide, focused on hiring professionals to support and advise rural communities and businesses on how to manage their economic recovery.
"It's clear rural B.C. has unique recovery needs, and the challenges are different for us in these communities," said Roly Russell, B.C. parliamentary secretary for rural development. "This new investment will help recovery in our rural communities throughout the province, guided by those local organizations that know best what these rural communities need."
For more information, go online to www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca.
