McBride, B.C. – The provincial government has announced the first BC Rural Dividend grants.

In the first intake of the three-year, $75 million BC Rural Dividend, 47 grants totalling over $464,000 will go to 30 local governments, 15 First Nations and two non-profit organizations across the province.

The grants of up to $10,000 each are designed to help small communities develop projects to diversify and strengthen their economies.

One of the grant recipients is the Village of McBride who plan to put the money towards a feasibility study to look at reducing the heating and electrical costs of the old forestry building they bought at 600 Frontage Road last year.

“And in doing that hopefully that facility will become more attractive for investors and entrepreneurs to locate there and create jobs here in McBride,” says acting Mayor Rick Thompson, a great believer in the program.

“It’s a great opportunity for small communities to really get a head start or some assistance on developing some real, economic diversification direction in their communities.”

The Province says final decisions on project applications for single applicants (up to $100,000) and partnerships (up to $500,000) will be announced next month.

A second intake of the BC Rural Dividend will run from October 3 to October 31, 2016.

The criteria for the BC Rural Dividend was conceived with input from the 13-member Rural Advisory Council formed in March, 2015.