Sunday April 16, 2023 | COLWOOD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends | APRIL 17, 2023 ANNOUNCEMENT PHOTOS
Just ahead of Earth Day, funding for a waterfront multi-use pathway in Colwood will be officially announced by federal, provincial and UBCM representatives together with Colwood Mayor Doug Kobayashi on Monday April 17 at the Colwood waterfront. [Click here for Announcement photos]
BC Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang will be there as well as UBCM President Jen Ford.
A safe and accessible multi-use pathway will inspire more people to get outdoors and active to enjoy this spectacular setting, and allow people to walk, scooter and cycle from Colwood’s town centre to the waterfront and connect to the vibrant seaside village the many amenities envisioned for the growing residential area of Royal Beach.
Earth Day is on April 22 each year.
Canada Community-Building Fund:
As of June 29, 2021, the Gas Tax Fund has been renamed the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF). It is a permanent source of funding provided up-front, twice-a-year, to provinces and territories, who in turn flow this funding to their municipalities to support local infrastructure priorities. Municipalities can pool, bank and borrow against this funding, which the federal government says provides significant financial flexibility.
Each year the CCBF delivers over $2 billion to 3,600 communities across the country. In recent years the funding has supported approximately 4,000 projects each year. Communities select how best to direct the funds with the flexibility to make strategic investments across various project categories:
- public transit, local roads and bridges, highways
- wastewater infrastructure, drinking water
- solid waste management, community energy systems, brownfield redevelopment
- capacity building
- local and regional airports, short-line rail, short-sea shipping
- disaster mitigation
- broadband and connectivity
- culture, tourism
- sport, recreation
- fire halls
Colwood waterfront stewardship:
The City of Colwood is creating a Waterfront Stewardship Plan to protect the sensitve ecology and archaeology of its coastline and lagoon areas through thoughtful design that guides people through the space in appropriate ways. This master plan will inform Council decision-making for the next 10 years.
The Waterfront Stewardship Plan is informed by existing policies including Colwood’s Official Community Plan, Active Transportation Network Plan, and Parks and Recreation Master Plan as well as public and stakeholder input.
The Waterfront Stewardship process began early in 2021 with detailed background analysis, review of previous studies and reports, and input from community members, Songhees and Esquimalt Nations and other key stakeholders, project partners, and Colwood’s Waterfront Stewardship Committee.
That first phase allowed for the development of early concepts for the waterfront which were shared with Colwood Council asking for their approval to proceed with continued community engagement.
“The plan identifies approaches that protect the highly sensitive wildlife habitat and archeological resources with design that enhances accessibility and directs human activity to the most appropriate areas beyond the lagoon along the full length of the waterfront. It will also support climate action and clean initiatives that strengthen the local economy and build a resilient community,” as stated by the City of Colwood.
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