Two North Island towns are receiving funds to help support tourism infrastructure development.
Port Alice is getting $335,000 for sea kayak touring facilities with picnic facilities being added on nearby islands, and Port Hardy is getting $348,500 for the construction of washrooms at Carrot/Rotary Park.
“The kayak infrastructure will enable visitors to spend time in Port Alice exploring our marine environment and taking in the beauty of the West Coast,” said Kevin Cameron, Port Alice mayor. “This grant offers our community opportunities to support local tourism and economic development that would not be possible to fund otherwise. We are grateful to the provincial government for making this possible.”
Port Hardy mayor Dennis Dugas was pleased to hear the news about the funding for the washrooms, stating this is something the district has “needed for a number of years” and they will be “community acceptable washrooms for everyone. They’re going to offer a service that’s much needed in the downtown area.”
In total, 14 communities with local economies that depend heavily on visitors will receive $9.2 million to support tourism infrastructure development.
“This direct investment in tourism-dependent communities was a call to action from the tourism sector and an integral part of our recovery plan,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “These projects will provide good-paying jobs now, create valuable assets for communities and attract more visitors in the future.”
A total of 46 new tourism-development projects were identified by communities throughout B.C. and include updated trails for e-bikes and adaptive trikes, signage, solar electric-vehicle charging stations, sea kayak touring and picnic facilities, water park construction, and creating an arts and culture stage.
Thirty-two communities have received a combined $19.4 million through the Tourism Dependent Communities Initiative. The approved projects must be completed by March 2023.
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