Covid millions to Shuswap
During the Covid era, due to unprofessional decisions made by politicians, health authorities, and other officials, small businesses have been struggling, some never recovered, and some bankrupted. Annual losses in B.C. for them climbed to 1,4 billion CAD. On another side, government institutions had budgets like never before. Millions of dollars have been landed to them from the Federal or Provincial government, which in the end will be paid by Canadian taxpayers.
Photo source” shuswapfoundation.ca
In September 2020, the Province of British Columbia announced nearly $2 billion in joint federal/provincial spending, including $540 million for local governments, $418 million for community infrastructure, and $1 billion for transit, TransLink and ferries.
Columbia Shuswap Regional District {CSRD} received COVID-19 Safe Restart funding in the amount of $645,000, in 2020, and additional COVID-19 Safe Restart funding in the amount of $344,000 in 2021. In accordance with the funding letters, the Board must resolve to allocate the entirety of these funds by December 31, 2021, a total of 989,000 CAD.
CSRD used that money for operational lost due to the lockdowns, hand sanitizer stations, face masks and supporting local services. CSRD also spent over 40,000 CAD for buying additional laptops and licensing, for people who decided to work from home, over 58,000 CAD for Cloud-based software license fees, and 40,000 CAD to replace the flooring in Sicamous arena, because it was damaged by Covid 19 stickers.
The city of Salmon Arm received a COVID 19 Safe Restart Grant from the provincial government in 2020 equal to 3,598,000 CAD. Additionally, BC Transit has entered into a Contribution Agreement to receive 86 million CAD to provide relief to Local Government Partners to help meet their share of costs to maintain affordable Essential Transit Service Levels during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery period. The City of Salmon Arm has been allocated 130,646 CAD under this contribution agreement.
For the year 2021, the City of Salmon Arm expenditures and financial statements are in process but expected 2021 expenditures to be approximately 783,100 CAD in total. So total Covid 19 related money that the City of Salmon Arm received 4,511,746 CAD.
The city used 1,38 million CAD to offset budgeted operational deficits, project and fiscal pressures, and 625,000 CAD in revenue deficit. The total COVID related expenses were approximately 15,000 CAD however, some of these expenses (including the tempered glass at the front counter) also assisted with other health and safety issues identified by the Joint Health and Safety Committee. Funding left was used for additional projects and balancing the budget. City also used 15,517.94 CAD for painting the “rainbow crosswalk” closed by the Art gallery. This project was approved by the city council.
The Board of Education of School District No.83 {North Okanagan-Shuswap} received total Federal funds in the amount of 2,443,283 CAD. Through the program Safe Return to School Grant Financial Report, which is a Provincial fund, SD 83 additionally received 748,001 CAD, which in total is 3,034,106 CAD. The total provincial budget for this program was 42,5 million CAD.
SD 83 spent Federal funds as follows: 1,238 022 CAD for education program delivery, mental health support, and technology. Over 1,112,115 CAD was used for face masks, shields, barriers and space adaptation, HVAC ventilation, hand hygiene, PPE. The transportation cost was added by 93,146 CAD. Provincial funds were spent on new staff, computers, hand sanitizers, washing stations, barriers, and HVAC ventilation.
While the small businesses and people in the private sectors have problems balancing their budgets, businesses were forced to closed and lost revenue, bureaucrats, officials, and governments employees enjoy secure income and benefits over the provincial average. This could be very dangerous because more power is getting to the hands of the state and less for the people. More and more people will be dependent on the government, which historically has always led to the misuse of the power of the state over their own people.
– DB
