The District of Kitimat can expect just under a million dollars in gas tax funds based on its 2021/22 projection allocated by the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM).

While the projected gas tax allocation for Kitimat in 2021/22 is $415,741, a one-time payment from the federal government amounting to $397,538 stretches the projection just shy of a million dollars at $813,279.

Based on the UBCM’s gas tax allocation list released last week, the District of Kitimat is also projected to get $415,741 for 2022/23 and $434,074 the following year for 2023/24.

Federal gas tax funding — officially named the Canada Community-Building Fund — is allocated to municipalities by the UBCM through its Community Works Fund (CWF) stream. This federal funding dispersed through CWF is aimed to help municipalities with their local infrastructure priorities such as roads, bridges, public transit, drinking water, broadband connectivity, community energy systems and disaster mitigation to name a few.

This year in March, in addition to a fixed long-term stream of funding already in place, the federal government also announced a top-up funding almost doubling the yearly allocation for local governments. As part of this top-up allocation, the federal government dispersed $2.2 billion across Canadian municipalities and First Nation communities.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Terrace can also expect somewhere around $570,311 for 2021/22 along with an additional one-time federal payment amounting to $545,435. 

The Regional District of Kitimat- Stikine is also projected to get $775,231 for 2021/22 along with a one-time payment of $775,231.

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-With files from Binny Paul