Earlier this year, the Province allocated $1 billion in grants to local governments through the Growing Communities Fund.

In this Quarterly Question, we surveyed local governments about their plans for allocating the Growing Communities Fund grant. A total of seventy-three (73) local governments responded, including eight regional districts.

At the time of the survey, several local governments were still in the process of deciding how to allocate the grant funds. Among the respondents, 34 per cent mentioned that they had not yet received council approval for any of the grant funds. Additionally, 13 per cent stated that they had council approval for only a portion of the grant spending.

Top 3 Categories
According to the survey results, recreation-related amenities emerged as the most common area for allocation. Excluding "Unknown" responses, it was observed that 50 per cent of local governments had allocated a portion of the grant to recreation projects. These projects encompassed trail expansions, community clubhouse facilities, arena upgrades, and theatre enhancements. This is followed by drinking water supply, treatment facilities and water distribution, and then local road improvements and upgrades as the most common areas allocations have been made.

Least Popular Categories
The survey revealed that the least favored options outlined by the Province of British Columbia for utilizing this funding included childcare facilities, the development finance aspects of infrastructure costs that facilitate affordable/attainable housing, and enhancements to transit services.

Full Results
A graph showing the full results of the survey can be found here.

For detailed results for this question or any past question, please contact surveys@civicinfo.bc.ca.

Thank you to all who participated in this questionnaire. The online Forum is a great place to continue the conversation. 

If you would like to contribute topics for upcoming questions, please contact office@gfoabc.ca or (250) 382-6871.