THE PROVINCIAL government is paying the Bulkley-Nechako and Kitimat-Stikine regional districts nearly $1.2 million in compensation for not being allowed to tax Rio Tinto Alcan’s Kemano hydro-electric facilities.
This year, the Bulkley-Nechako Regional District received $709,913 and the Kitimat-Stikine Regional District received $473,276 in grants in lieu.
The grants fall under a 15-year memorandum of understanding between the province and the two regional districts, capping years of lobbying by the districts.
The Kitimat-Stikine regional district has used the money, for example, to finance fishery projects at Lakelse Lake.
And this year, it dipped into the Kemano account to send My Mountain Co-op $100,000 to help in operate the Shames Mountain ski facility.