NKDF Planning to Spend $700,000 This Year
JUN 13, 2008

At the Society’s first meeting of the new fiscal year held on May 28^th in Vanderhoof, the Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society agreed to a funding target of $700,000 in grants to be given out to qualified projects during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

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The first round of successful projects approved at that meeting were:

• $8,000 for the BC Forage Council for a 4-year crop trial testing project for the Nechako region.
• $103,905 for the Village of Burns Lake to go toward the construction of a performance shelter and concession for the Spirit Square – Nourse Park project.
• $16,000 for Cheslatta Carrier Nation to assist with a film which will highlight the economic successes of First Nations in the Burns Lake and Southside area.
• $60,000 to assist with renovations to the OK Café, a social enterprise that helps to fund the non-profit Nechako Valley Historical Society.

NKDF Society Chair Paul Stewart said, "We are pleased to see the number of projects moving forward, and impressed with the hard work on the part of community members to bring quality applications to the NKDF table.”

"Our government and the NKDF support strong, positive growth in our communities," said Bulkley Valley-Stikine MLA Dennis MacKAY. "I'm pleased these planned projects highlight the unique qualities of the North and demonstrate a commitment to local investment."

"Investing in northern development is important for the strength of our region," said Prince George-Omineca MLA John Rustad. "The NKDF understands the concerns of northern communities and, through the support of the Province and Rio Tinto Alcan, they are working with local organizations to address those needs in innovative ways."

Rio Tinto Alcan’s Manager of Corporate Affairs & Community Relations, Colleen Nyce, said, “We are pleased with the funding target set by the NKDF Society as it demonstrates that an important stream of investment dollars will continue to flow directly to the communities where it is most needed.”

The Nechako-Kitamaat Development Fund Society was jointly established in 1997 with a combined contribution of $15 million by the government of British Columbia and Alcan Inc. The Fund’s investment area includes lands impacted by the original Kemano project and focuses on those communities in the Nechako and Haisla regions of the north.

The Society encourages applications from local governments and legally incorporated non-profit organizations. NKDF invests in projects that create sustainable employment, diversify the economy, and improve the basic infrastructure needed for community stability, quality of life and growth.