Carolina Hopkins
Independent
(CWWF) is scheduled to end 2019-2020 and provides 50% cost-share with the Province. Under a Federal Bi-lateral Agreement with the Provinces this fund come directly to the Province of BC, who in turn manage the projects. Once the funds are handed over, the Provinces are provided complete autonomy to fund in collaboration with municipalities.
Infrastructure is crumbling and has been neglected for years.
Money spent on infrastructure is spent where and how? Of that funding a significant portion that can be used on construction of infrastructure, it is also used by the province to fund feasibility Study and planning costs, due diligence and risk determination cost, and administration costs.
Unfortunately, most all Infrastructure Canada’s funding programs have either been fully allocated or closed funding programs. There are many ongoing programs from the BCF Major Infrastructure Funds. If you check on the link you will see the few remaining pots of money are left except the Disaster Mitigation and Adaption Fund (DMAF). This fund was started in 2018 and is scheduled to end in 2028, and was announced by the Federal Government to assist the community of Grand Forks to:
1. Help people affected from the flooding and
2. Assist with infrastructure projects.
But there is now a short fall says the Province and the citizens have been offered by the Province post-flood values as part of a buyout.
How much of that fund was spent on the administration in order to fund communities affected and in the most need?
You give to Peter to pay Paul and Peter shortchanges Paul and keeps a portion for administration and what else?
If elected as your Advocate in Ottawa, I will commit to advocating for communities with the Provincial Government and connect with each municipality to see how funding is spent, look for more funding sources and hold all levels of government to account for fiscal responsibility to the citizens. I’m certain if government stops wasting and rethink approaches to this problem, some of these shortfalls will miraculously appear in the budget.
