May 12, 2010
Communities Receive Funding for Planning

VICTORIA – Capital Region will receive $60,000 to develop plans for energy, water and waste management local infrastructure under the Infrastructure Planning Grant Program.

“Communities are taking a leadership role on innovative projects to ensure we satisfy our future energy needs in an environmentally responsible way,” says Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong. 

“These projects are key components to our province’s green energy agenda. Through careful research and innovative planning, communities are able to find ways of turning otherwise wasted materials into clean, green energy,” says Saanich North and the Islands MLA Murray Coell. 

Infrastructure Planning Grants:

• $10,000 Capital Regional District, Joint Tri-Regional Waste-to-Energy Viability Study
• This project will evaluate the feasibility of a joint energy facility for the Cowichan Valley Regional District, the Regional District of Nanaimo and the Capital Regional District. It will compare costs of a central facility for the southern Vancouver Island with the current disposal costs. The study will also look at the greenhouse gas impacts.
• $10,000 Capital Regional District, Opportunity Assessment for Integration of Liquid and Solid Waste Management Plans for the CRD
• This project will evaluate regulatory and operational issues, cost savings, efficiencies of infrastructure and natural resources and integrated planning approaches for integrated liquid waste and sold waste management. 
• $10,000 Colwood, Community Energy Plan
• This project will invite key community stakeholders to create a high-level framework to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions energy and water use.
• $10,000 Esquimalt, Feasibility Study for Resource Recovery from Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent
• This project will research the potential for reuse of reclaimed water and heat recovery in the Village Centre. Reuse may be used for irrigation and heat extracted from water may include heating municipal buildings and pools.
• $10,000 Victoria, Integrated Storm Water Master Plan
• This project will create multi-year plan to prioritize improvements and cost estimates for the next twenty years. It will also look at current city bylaws, regulations and guidelines with regards to storm water management to recommend new ideas that relate to current practices.
• $10,000 View Royal, Community Energy and GHG Emissions Sustainability Plan
• This project will create a plan with regards to energy and greenhouse gas emissions to air in amendments to the Official Community Plan in 2010.

The Infrastructure Planning Grant Program provides grants of up to $10,000 to help local governments plan, design and manage infrastructure. The grants support projects that improve infrastructure sustainability, such as long-term comprehensive plans and studies that assess the economic and environmental feasibility of proposed water, sewer, drainage and transportation infrastructure.

In past years, these grants have often led to supporting applications for capital infrastructure projects that have been submitted to programs such as Towns for Tomorrow and the Building Canada Fund – Communities Component.

Visit Ida’s website at www.idachongmla.bc.ca

Visit Murray’s website at www.murraycoellmla.bc.ca.

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