City Investments – Frequently asked questions

Q: How much money did the Province give the City?

A: The Province is investing $10 million over three years between 2008 and 2011 as part of its BC150 celebration (the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Crown Colony) to celebrate the history, heritage and culture of Vancouver’s first urban areas.

Q: What is the money intended for?

A: The funds are designated to help recapture the vibrancy of Vancouver’s founding neighbourhoods including Chinatown, Strathcona, Gastown and Japantown, often referred to collectively as the Downtown Eastside.

Q: Is this a grant program that community organizations or City programs can apply to?

A: No, this is not a grant program. The distribution of funds will be fair and transparent.  A strategic plan will highlight priorities for project funding. There are other City departments such as Cultural Services and Social Planning that offer grant programs.

Q: How will the money be disbursed?

A: In order to put the money to work as quickly as possible, an inter-departmental  management team has been set up to coordinate with existing City programs that are already operating in this neighbourhood. The money will be disbursed to reflect priorities under the five project theme areas of public and private space improvements, arts and culture, community living and community pride.

Q: Is Great Beginnings a Council initiative?

A: An early meeting involving City planning staff, business people and Project Civil City helped inform discussions about development of an initiative that could help to revitalize the “street feel” of Vancouver’s historic neighbourhoods. In due course, Council approval was given to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with the Province to guide Great Beginnings.

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