The Regional District of Mount Waddington is submitting a grant application to the Strategic Priorities Fund for an additional lift-van to support the Volunteer Transportation Network, which is an integral part of the regional transit system.
North Island Community Services Society operates both Mount Waddington Transit and the Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN). VTN provides service to those who require extra assistance not available on regular transit to get to medical-related appointments. North Island Community Services Society also provides lift-van service when able, in partnership with regional organizations and seniors groups to assist seniors throughout the region to participate in community and social activities recognizing this both reduces isolation and enables seniors to live independently longer.
It is through the VTN that the Regional District proposes to expand its current wheelchair-accessible capacity by acquiring a lift-van to provide service for Mount Waddington residents who need to travel out-of-region to doctors and other specialists’ appointments.
This lift-van will also support community members’ access to medical appointments within the Mount Waddington region on the days that it is not providing out-of-region service. The priority, however, is on increased access for Mount Waddington residents for out-of-region medical/specialists appointments.
The RDMW put out a call for letters of support last week.
The Strategic Priorities Fund is an application-based program available to local governments and other recipients outside of the Greater Vancouver Regional District to support infrastructure and capacity building projects that are either larger in scale, regional in impact or innovative, and align with the program objectives of productivity and economic growth, a clean environment and strong cities and communities.
Under the Fund’s Renewed Gas Tax Agreement, eligible project categories have been expanded to include public transit; local roads and bridges; community energy systems; drinking water; wastewater; solid waste; disaster mitigation; recreational infrastructure; cultural infrastructure; tourism infrastructure; sport infrastructure; local and regional airports; short-line rail; short-sea shipping; broadband connectivity; highways; brownfield redevelopment and capacity building.
