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Rural Development Grants to Boost Economy in Nicola Valley – Okanagan

The province on Friday announced a series of rural development grants in the Nicola Valley to support economic development and diversification.

This is the next step in StrongerBC’s economic plan and ongoing recovery efforts at Merritt following last November’s floods.

“People in Merritt have been through a lot over the past year and understand how important economic recovery is to rebuilding the community,” Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Development Roly Russell said in a press release.

The provincial government is awarding a $1 million rural development grant to the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association to build a community slaughterhouse in the Merritt area.

Continue reading:

BC announces $228 million to help farmers and ranchers affected by flooding

This will provide meat processing and slicing and packaging services to local farmers and ranchers.

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“This project represents significant employment and economic opportunities for the region while ensuring that local ranches, slaughterhouses and businesses are part of a strong, resilient BC food system,” Secretary of Agriculture and Food Lana Popham said in a press release .

“With recent changes to BC’s meat licensing system and investments in facilities such as the Nicola Valley Community Slaughterhouse, this revitalization of the small-scale meat industry makes it easier to produce, purchase and sell BC meat in our rural communities and helps strengthen our food security and food resilience .”

The slaughterhouse will be a government controlled licensed facility with a full range of red meat processing services.

According to the province, local producers are affected by the lack of processing capacity. Julia Smith, a pork and beef producer in Merrit, hopes this new facility will help her business and other local producers.

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“My partner and I moved to the Nicola Valley in 2016 to expand our business to meet the growing demand for well-raised, local meat. But we soon found that the processors we had been relying on were not able to keep up with our production and we had to scale back the business rather than grow it.”





2:14More than 900 people are still displaced after the floods in Merritt last fall


More than 900 people are still displaced after the floods in Merritt last fall – February 25, 2022

“We were about to give up. But now we are ready to move on because this facility will allow us and other local family farms and ranches to thrive and thrive while providing greater food security for the community.”

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The province is providing a $1 million grant to the Scw’exmx Tribal Council for rural development toward Gateway 286 in Merritt.

“After an incredible year of fire, flooding and a pandemic, we welcome the $1 million grant from the BC government that will strengthen our rural community, support high-paying jobs and much-needed economic development,” Spayum said Holdings LP Director and Scw’ exmx Tribal Council Terrence (Lee) Spahan in a press release.

“The Gateway 286 project is a 30+ year vision of past and present Nicola Valley Indigenous chiefs and these funds will take our commercial and tourism development one step closer to reality. This project will use the experience of [traveling] public by providing much-needed services, and it will bring well-paying jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities to residents of the Nicola Valley.”

Meanwhile, the City of Merritt will receive a $500,000 grant related to the economic recovery of communities affected by the floods. The grant will be used to complete economic development projects and initiatives in support of long-term economic recovery.

This is in addition to $329,000 in provincial funding for the City of Merritt to update flood hazard mapping and develop new flood mitigation plans.


Click here to play the video: 'Furer grows over Merritt evacuations'


2:13Anger over Merritt’s evacuation mounts


Anger mounting over Merritt evacuations – November 28, 2021

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