Two city applications to provincial infrastructure fund may not qualify

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City of Nanaimo applications for infrastructure funding may not fit funding criteria

Nanaimo city council is hoping the province will fund two million dollar projects, but one councillor questions whether either project qualifies under BC's Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program. It is meant to create new employment or re-employ workers laid off by COVID-19. The city has put forward two proposals: one is to replace the Loudon Boathouse and the other is to replace the track at the Rotary Bowl. Councillor Don Bonner, whose background includes grants and funding applications believes the city's choices may not fit the funding criteria because they do nothing to address COVID-19 issues, like improvements to create distancing, which are required under this provincial grant program.

"There's a thing we say in these grant applications called "that's a stretch," where they're trying to take a program and fit it into a funding stream and generally, they're not very successful. I think what we're done and what's happened is this grant funding stream has appeared out of nowhere and we're trying to pigeon-hole some applications that we think might work so I'm not sure if they will really qualify for what the province is asking for."—City of Nanaimo Councillor Don Bonner.

City staff concedes it was rushed to put forward eligible projects, saying the recently announced provincial program has a tight deadline that requires applications be made by the end of the month.