A proposed Sicamous medical facility will benefit from close to $6 million in federal and provincial funding.
On July 3, the Government of Canada announced 25 projects in B.C. that would receive joint federal and provincial funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Among them were the Wilson Park Footbridge project in Chase, and the Shuswap (Secwepemc) Healing Centre in Sicamous.
The Village of Chase project will receive $60,000 and $49,995 in federal and B.C. government grant funding, which will be in addition to $40,005 provided by the village. This project involves the design, construction and installation of a 25-metre footbridge, with a 1.8-metre wide bridge deck, providing pedestrians with safe, easy walking access to schools, health-care facilities, shopping and recreational activities.
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For the Sicamous project, the federal government is providing $3,554,359, while the province is kicking in $2,369,572, for 100 per cent funding of the Shuswap Healing Centre. The District of Sicamous applied for the grant funding in January 2019 through the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The money will go towards construction of a wellness and healing centre on Main Street. The facility will offer medical services including mental health and addictions supports and counselling.
The facility’s construction is part of the district’s ongoing effort to attract doctors to the community.
The need for the centre was expressed in a report from the District of Sicamous, which stated 45 per cent of the Sicamous’ population had to leave the district to be treated by health-care practitioners in other communities.
