Premier David Eby announces $1 billion in grants for municipalities

B.C. municipalities will receive $1 billion worth of grants to pay for infrastructure and amenities to meet the demands of unprecedented population growth, Premier David Eby announced Friday.

Speaking from a news conference inside the Newton Recreation Centre in Surrey, Eby said B.C. is seeing record population growth and “cities of all sizes are on the front lines of this historic level of growth.”

Eby stood alongside Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and noted that Surrey is one of B.C.’s fastest growing communities, growing 10 per cent since 2016.

All of B.C.’s 188 municipalities and regional districts will be eligible to tap into the $1 billion growing communities’ fund that they can use to build new infrastructure and amenities such as recreation facilities, transit services, parks and water treatment plants. Eby said most municipalities have shovel-ready projects that have been waiting for funding.