By Pete McIntyre

North Okanagan communities receive fire prevention funding

Mar 9, 2020 | 1:30 PM

The City of Vernon and Splatsin First Nation are among the 89 communities to receive B.C. government grants to protect against the threat of wildfires.

Splatsin will receive $150,000 to help with fuel management.

Vernon will also get $150,000 for education, planning and fuel management.

In total, the province is providing $9 million in grants.

“The people who call these communities home know all too well the dangers from wildfires,” Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, said. “Our government is committed to supporting local governments and First Nations because it’s their on-the-ground efforts and local knowledge that are crucial to protecting the economic, recreational and environmental lifeblood of their communities.”

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Kamloops Fire Centre grants:
• District of Clearwater: $181,000 to assist with education, fuel management
• Columbia Shuswap Regional District: $150,000 to assist with education, development, cross-training, FireSmart demonstration projects, FireSmart activities for private land
• City of Kamloops: $418,205 to assist with fuel management
• City of Kelowna: $150,000 to assist with fuel management
• Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band: $147,314 to assist with education, development, inter-agency cooperation, cross-training, FireSmart activities for private land, fuel management
• Lytton First Nation: $17,425 to assist with fuel management
• City of Merritt: $116,000 to assist with education, cross-training, fuel management
• Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen: $140,000 to assist with education, development, cross-training, FireSmart activities for private land
• Town of Osoyoos: $36,000 to assist with education, development considerations
• Penticton Indian Band: $150,000 to assist with fuel management
• Sekw’elw’as: $10,495 to assist with fuel management
• District of Sicamous: $150,000 to assist with education, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for private land, fuel management
• Splatsin First Nation: $150,000 to assist with fuel management
• T’it’q’et: $131,580 to assist with education, planning, FireSmart activities for private land, fuel management
• Upper Nicola Band: $55,025 to assist with education, planning, cross-training
• City of Vernon: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, fuel management
• City of West Kelowna: $64,500 to assist with fuel management
• Westbank First Nation: $150,000 to assist with fuel management
• Xaxli’p First Nation: $21,975 to assist with education, inter-agency cooperation, FireSmart activities for private land
• Xwísten (Bridge River Indian Band): $52,500 to assist with education, cross-training, FireSmart activities for private land