Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs

The Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs are funded by Columbia Basin Trust (the Trust) and managed by local regional governments and Indigenous partners.

LATEST UPDATE (June 15, 2022):

The RDEK Board of Directors has approved over $1.2 million in funding for 100 projects around the region. To view the list of approved projects, see the link in the documents section, or click here.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMS:

The Community Initiatives and Affected Areas Programs are intended to be flexible and incorporate community-based funding decisions. The Programs support local projects that provide additional value to Basin communities and that benefit the broad community and public good. Program funds are distributed annually to the Trust’s local government partners:

The regional districts of East Kootenay, Central Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary, the City of Revelstoke, Town of Golden, Village of Valemount, and to the Trust’s Indigenous partners: Ɂaq’am, Ɂakisq’nuk, Lower Kootenay (Yaqan nuɁkiy), Tobacco Plains Indian Band (Ɂakink’umŧasnuqŧiɁit) and the Shuswap Indian Band.

In the East Kootenay, the Community Initiatives Program funds projects that are identified as priorities within the communities and rural areas of the Regional District of East Kootenay.

The Affected Areas Program is designed to put funds back into the Basin for those communities most affected by dam construction under the Columbia River Treaty. In the East Kootenay, the Program funds projects that meet priorities in communities which lie within 10 km of Lake Koocanusa and include the following:

• Electoral Area B: Jaffray, Galloway, Elko, Baynes Lake, Grasmere, and Newgate
• Portion of Electoral Area C: Wardner, Mayook and Bull River

For information on other programs offered by the Trust, please visit their website at: https://www.ourtrust.org/