A 15 per cent increase from $3.6 million annually to more than $4.2 million means communities will be eligible to receive additional funding for grants during a five year period.

The Columbia Basin Trust (CBT) will be offering the communities it serves access to funding through the Community Initiatives and Affected Areas program this spring.

“We are pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with local governments and First Nations to identify local priorities and deliver benefits to Basin communities,” said CBT president and chief executive officer Neil Muth, in a recent press release.

The CBT’s Community Initiatives and Affected Areas program began operating in 1998 to help address the needs of Basin communities. Now, the CBT distributes funding to local government and First Nation partners once a year and it asks communities to prioritize their plans through local council decisions of votes from residents to determine which project will be eligible to receive grants.

“From the Better to Babies to senior’s programs, educational initiatives, environmental projects and community hall renovations, the Community Initiatives and Affected Areas programs have provided critical support to a broad range of projects that have directly benefited the residents in our communities,” said RDEK board chair Rob Gay. “Every year, we are over-subsidized, and the increase in funding is fantastic news.”

The new five-year commitment totals more than $21 million for the entire Basin and extends to 2021. Of that total extra funding, the Ktunaxa Nation Council (four bands) will be eligible for $144,900 annually; the Shuswap Indian Band will be eligible for $36,225 annually; and the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) will be eligible for $1,197,531.

To learn more about the programs and view upcoming deadlines, visit www.cbt.org/cipaap.

To find out more about CBT, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.