Cortes Island cyclists and pedestrians will soon reap the benefits of the Union of BC Municipalities’ Active Transportation Planning Program. The $20,000 awarded to the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will make it easier for islanders to leave their cars at home. The SRD plans to use the money to develop an inventory of Cortes’ walking paths, cycling routes and support facilities, such as bike parking and repair sites. They’ll also provide information on safety and road conditions to help make active transportation a worry-free option.
A $500,000 grant from Forestry Innovation Investment’s Mass Timber Demonstration Program is helping build one of the first zero-emissions mass timber buildings in Canada. The District of Saanich’s new fire station – slated for completion in 2023 – will feature a steel and timber post-and-beam system with a cross-laminated timber roof, all topped off with solar panels. The station will showcase innovative uses of B.C. wood and serve as a template for how mass timber can be used in a building designed to withstand emergencies – all while meeting ambitious environmental targets.
Thanks to $500,000 from the Mass Timber Demonstration Program, the City of Kelowna is transforming its airport into a future-ready, eco-friendly facility. By using locally sourced, lightweight, prefabricated mass timber panels, the project is highlighting the potential of B.C.’s innovative low-carbon wood products, minimizing construction-related transportation costs and emissions, and supporting greener jobs – all while reaping the benefits of a quick, safe build that allows the airport to remain open while the work is underway.
With more than $64,000 in support from UBCM’s $369-million Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, in partnership with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Toquaht Nation and the Uchucklesaht Tribe, are working to develop an evacuation route plan for the west coast of the region. The route breaks up the Alberni Valley into manageable geographic zones, each with muster points and reception centres, to help ensure the safety of residents – even those in remote communities – in the event of a large-scale emergency such as a tsunami, an earthquake, a wildfire or flooding.
A fully-electric vehicle has replaced a gas-guzzling security van in the Coquitlam School District’s fleet, thanks to funding provided through the CleanBC Go Electric program. Emissions from the fleet are one of the main contributors to the School District’s carbon footprint and the van – the most-used vehicle in the fleet – was a major source of those emissions. Driven more than 200 kilometres each day and using 7,700 litres of gas each year, it produced more than 18,300 kilograms of greenhouse gases annually. The new electric vehicle runs completely on B.C.’s clean electricity, charges quickly and efficiently, and can travel 260 kilometres on a single charge.
With a $500,000 boost from the Active Transportation Infrastructure Grant Program, the City of New Westminster is creating the Agnes Greenway, a 1.2 kilometre mixed-use transportation corridor that will link Douglas College and the city’s residential neighbourhood to the Pattullo Bridge. The Agnes Greenway will mean safe walking, wheeling and biking between key locations, with a separated two-way lane for cyclists, improved sidewalks for pedestrians, and new greenspaces with stormwater infrastructure, trees and benches. A second phase of the project will extend the path to the New Westminster SkyTrain station and the city’s waterfront.
