For the 10th year in a row, the District of 100 Mile House is accepting applications for its Business Facade Improvement Program.
The district has once more received funding for the program from the Northern Development Initiative Trust and is now seeking applicants for the 2025 intake. The program is designed to help businesses improve and upgrade their exterior business facades to help make them more appealing to customers and in turn, stimulate local economic growth.
"The Business Façade Improvement Program revitalizes our storefronts and strengthens our local economy,” Mayor Maureen Pinkney said. “We encourage businesses to take advantage of this program, and we sincerely thank Northern Development Initiative Trust for their continued support in 100 Mile House.”
The program is set up to allow the district to provide a business with a 50 per cent reimbursement, up to $5,000, for any changes made to their facade. Some of the eligible improvements include adding new exterior lighting, architectural features, a new coat of paint, siding, entrances, awnings and accessibility improvements. The district encourages the use of log and timber accents, especially in any projects.
Since the district first began offering the program in 2014, 18 different businesses have taken advantage of the program and received a combined total of $76,000 in grant money. The district said the total value of these projects is worth more than $300,000 of private sector investment.
Joanne Doddridge, the district's director of economic development and planning, said the application process for businesses is user-friendly and that approvals are processed quickly. She added that applications are granted on a first-come, first-served basis and will be given out until all the funding is awarded. Any project that is undertaken should not begin until the project is approved by the district, Doddridge said.
“We are hopeful that the full allocation will be utilized by businesses in 2025,” Doddridge said.
Anyone thinking of applying can find out if their project is eligible by contacting the District of 100 Mile House's office at 250-395-2434 or visiting their website at 100milehouse.com/investing-here/business-resources/business- facade-improvement-program. Doddridge said they encourage businesses to apply early to avoid missing this chance.
