The City of Kamloops will be getting just under $140,000 in grant funding to support wildfire-risk-mitigation projects ahead of the summer wildfire season.

It was part of more than $3.5 million in grants announced to 26 local governments and First Nations across the Kamloops Fire Centre. The money will come in the form of grants from the Ministry of Forests’ Community Resiliency Investment program.

“Last year’s devastating fire season highlighted the importance of implementing FireSmart activities around B.C. communities and, as we saw in Logan Lake, it can make a big difference,” Forests Minister, Katrine Conroy, said, in a statement.

“In Budget 2022, our government committed $90 million in community grants to complete FireSmart initiatives and fuel-management activities that will help safeguard homes and communities from wildfire threats.”

Some of the other communities in the Kamloops-area getting money include Merritt ($50,596), Cook’s Ferry Indian Band ($141,975), Lillooet ($77,440), Logan Lake ($202,046), the Lytton First Nation ($118,956), Shackan Indian Band ($108,830), Skeetchestn Indian Band ($150,000), and Sun Peaks ($121,310).

“For people across the southern Interior, wildfires are something we live with regularly, and with that lived experience, we know they’re worsening with climate change,” said Roly Russell, the MLA for Boundary-Similkameen added.

“We all need to be better prepared to protect ourselves, our communities and the vital services we rely on, and we know that FireSmart projects do exactly that. I’m happy our government is supporting this work happening across our region.”

List of Kamloops Fire Centre Communities Getting Money:

• Central Okanagan Regional District: $250,000 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities for residential areas, cross-training, fuel management
• City of Kamloops: $139,829 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, fuel management
• City of Kelowna: $149,045 to assist with education, FireSmart activities in residential areas, fuel management
• City of Merritt: $50,596 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities in residential areas, fuel management
• City of Penticton: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• City of Vernon: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, FireSmart activities in residential areas
• City of West Kelowna: $149,616 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• Columbia Shuswap Regional District: $250,000 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas, planning
• Cook’s Ferry Indian Band: $141,975 to assist with education, planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas and critical infrastructure
• District of Lillooet: $77,440 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operations, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• District of Logan Lake: $202,046 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, fuel management, FireSmart activities in residential areas
• District of Peachland: $150,000 to assist with education, development considerations, interagency co-operation, cross-training, FireSmart activities in residential areas
• District of Spallumcheen: $35,000 to assist with education, planning
• Lil’wat Nation: $149,750 to assist with education, planning, cross-training, fuel management
• Little Shuswap Lake Band: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, fuel management, FireSmart Activities in residential areas
• Lower Nicola Indian Band: $44,460 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, cross-training
• Lytton First Nation: $118,956 to assist with education, planning, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District: $463,946 to assist with interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities for critical infrastructure and residential areas, education, emergency planning, cross-training
• Shackan Indian Band: $108,830 to assist with education, planning, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• Siska Band: $51,040 to assist with education, planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities in residential areas
• Skeetchestn Indian Band: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• Skuppah Indian Band: $65,830 to assist with education, planning, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training
• Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality: $121,310 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas, fuel management
• T’it’q’et: $148,760 to assist with education, planning, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning cross-training, fuel management
• Upper Nicola Band: $92,080 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
• Xaxli’p First Nation: $14,525 to assist with education, planning, cross-training