The Government of Canada has announced that British Columbia now has the option to allocate up to $412,968,016 towards projects under a new COVID Resilience funding stream. This amount represents 10% of its total allocation under the Investing in Canada infrastructure program. Projects under the new stream will be eligible for a significantly larger federal cost share – up to 80 per cent for provinces, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations in provinces, and raising it to 100 per cent for remote, northern and territorial projects designated under the new stream. In addition to the new time-limited stream, a simplified application process for funding will ensure that projects can get underway as soon as possible.
These changes will benefit communities of all sizes, including rural Canada. Rural and remote communities will have access to funding for mobile and cellular projects, for example, ensuring that the most urgent and needed projects are prioritized with a higher federal cost-share.
