The province has given nearly half-a-million dollars to the Ashcroft Indian Band to build a new campground, which one local politician says will benefit the whole area.
Earlier this month, the band was awarded a rural dividend grant worth just under $465,000 to build a campground which will be just north of Cornwall Road. The funding will also be used to upgrade existing facilities on the property and to build a concession.
Mayor of the neighboring community Ashcroft, Barbara Roden, says any improvements done by the band is good for the whole region.
“We actually don’t have a lot of campground spaces in the area, so adding that capacity will be great for the band and for Ashcroft and Cache Creek,” Roden says.
The grant was awarded due to economic hardship the band has faced as a result of the devastating Elephant Hill wildfire last year, which torched almost 200,000 hectares.
“The fire was particularly devastating for the Ashcroft Indian Band,” Roden says. “It went right through the reserve and destroyed 11 houses. A lot of people were displaced, and are still displaced from that fire.”