After hearing from over 200 residents and combing through over 750 thoughts, RDEK’s Elk Valley Community Directed Funds Committee is now inviting Elk Valley residents to help
identify the best Elk Valley-wide projects and initiatives to receive funding. Tasked with creating a Community Priorities Plan to allocate $200,000 per year from Columbia Basin Trust over the next three years to create social and economic benefits for region, the Committee is eager to find out how residents will rank 10 Elk Valley projects and initiatives that came out of October’s consultations.

“We were very excited to see the range of ideas that residents put forward in October,” said Committee Chair Mary Giuliano. “This initiative asked us to think beyond the boundaries of
our communities to consider the well-being of the Valley as whole, and that’s something that we’re not always used to doing. We had to eliminate many good ideas that were just too local in nature and therefore outside the mandate of this Committee.”

From November 25th until the consultation closes on December 8th, residents can show their support for specific project ideas in one of two ways: 1) visit www.thinkelkvalley.com and following the online instructions, or 2) visit their local City Hall or District Office to pick up and complete a prioritization form.

The committee continues to seek participation from a broad cross-section of Elk Valley residents and stakeholders, including business, community and public services, education,
health, arts & culture, heritage, sports, recreation, environment, seniors, youth and more. Residents who registered or participated online in October will automatically receive an invitation for this second and final stage of consultation.

For more information about the community directed funds initiative, visit www.thinkelkvalley.com.