The B.C. government’s decision to transfer its Rural Dividend Fund to a forestry aid package has been met with opposition.
The Rural Dividend Fund was created for smaller communities to be able to build capacity and promote economic diversification. Various government officials from rural B.C. have called for the immediate reinstatement of of the Rural Dividend Program to the communities and First Nations that depend on it.
Residents of these small communities and First Nations fear what may happen if they lose the funding backing their programs.
B.C. Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson is calling for John Horgan and the NDP to govern for everyone in B.C.
“This is about John Horgan and the NDP picking winners and losers. It’s time for the NDP to govern for everybody in B.C. and especially for smaller communities that are forest dependant because government isn’t about picking winners and losers it’s not about friends and enemies it’s about governing for every citizen in British Columbia,” said Wilkinson.
This year there has been 89 shutdowns, closures and curtailments that have led to unemployment for 6,000 people in the direct forest industry and at least another 6,000 amongst the contractors according to Wilkinson.
Doug Donaldson Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said that those programs that have already put in their applications for the Rural Dividend Fund are still in the system being looked at.
