Earlier this year, Columbia Basin Trust committed $200,000 per year for the next three years to the Columbia Valley Community Directed Funds (CVCDF) Program to support initiatives that provide socio-economic benefits to the Columbia Valley.

The CVCDF Committee, which is made up of the five Regional District of East Kootenay Columbia Valley Directors and four members of the public, is now working to complete a Priorities Plan. “The creation of a Priorities Plan is a key step in the process. The plan needs to reflect the priorities of the valley and outline criteria to assist in selecting or developing projects,” explains CVCDF Committee Chair Wendy Booth (Electoral Area F). “To help us identify those priorities, we will be undertaking a community consultation process, which will be led by Jamie Chicanot of ADR Education.”

Chicanot will be in the valley the week of December 10 to begin the consultation process. “I will be meeting with individuals and groups to discuss priorities, possibilities, and their vision of socio-economic growth and development,” he says. “I will be listening to the views and ideas brought forward, working to build consensus about the Columbia Valley’s priorities, and identifying actions that could help us meet those priorities.”

The community consultations are expected to continue through the spring. Chicanot will then prepare a draft Priorities Plan for consideration by the CVCDF Committee. Once the Priorities Plan has been adopted by the Committee, it will help guide funding allocations for approved projects and potential new initiatives.

The CVCDF Committee is a standing committee of the Regional District of East Kootenay that administers and operates the Columbia Valley Community Directed Funds Program in accordance with the Contribution Agreement between Columbia Basin Trust and the RDEK.

RDEK

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