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Second Edition of the
Program
Thanks to the Community
Interaction Program,
riverside community organizations will be able to carry out
their regional projects with a view to promoting the accessibility
and reappropriating traditional uses of the St. Lawrence River.
Started
up within days of the launching of Phase III, the Community
Interaction Program is to be a natural follow-up to the planning
and studies carried out under the Ecological Remedial Action
Plans (ERAPs) prepared by the Priority Intervention Zone committees
(known by their French acronym, ZIPs) under SLV 2000. The program
must give priority support-but not exclusively-to the accomplishment
of projects emanating from the ERAPs. "Projects that are
in keeping with the global objectives of Phase III will qualify,"
points out Lynn Cleary, Manager of the St. Lawrence Centre at
Environment Canada and co-chair of the Community Involvement
Intervention Sector. "In fact, we are aiming at new initiatives
that safeguard the health of ecosystems of the St. Lawrence
or public health, or that promote accessibility to and the resumption
of prior uses of the St. Lawrence."
Forging ties with regional partners
Designed solely for non-profit NGOs, this program is open to
a wide variety of projects: clean-up actions, shoreline stabilization
or replanting, the restoration of wetlands or fragile zones,
public awareness and educational campaigns regarding the environment
and leading to action, the building of access infrastructures
that are environmentally friendly... and so on. These projects,
which could take place along the stretch of the St. Lawrence
River between the Québec/Ontario border to the west, continuing
along the north shore until Blanc-Sablon (Magdalen Islands)
to the east, and south to New Brunswick, will be designed to
help protect the St. Lawrence, its tributaries, the shoreline
and the wetland or fragile areas related to them.
"We intend on forging ties and deploying concerted efforts
with different players of a given region," adds Lynn Cleary.
"Incidentally, the program finances up to 50% of a project’s
allowable expenses (up to a maximum of $100,000) and up to 70%
for studies (maximum of $30,000). The rest of the backing must
come from other sources in the area or other government programs.
The support being offered is both technical and financial. Project
officers designated for the program and a pool of federal-provincial
experts are on hand to guide the non-government organizations
in carrying out their projects. It is also possible to consult
with the ZIP committees of the various regions in order to harmonize
a project’s objectives with the guidelines presented in
the regional ERAP and win over its support.
The total budget of the Community Interaction Program amounts
to $7 million, which is twice the amount made available during
Phase II of SLAP ($3.5 million).
Working together for a better environment
Being one of the key aspects of the Community Involvement sector,
this program aims to promote public participation in efforts
designed to improve the environment. The aspect will also be
one of the evaluation criteria for projects, just like their
consistency with the set regional priorities or the action plans.
The first deadline for the filing of project financing applications
has been set for October 1, 1998. "The date may appear
early, but we wanted to implement initiatives right from the
first year," emphasises Jean-Yves Roy, Coordinator of the
MEFQ’s operational coordination branch and co-chair of
the Community Involvement Intervention sector. "In addition,
last June we were able to meet with all the ZIP committee heads
and many community organizations. All those persons were updated
several months ago as to the various aspects of the program
and were in a position to convey the information to their respective
communities."
The first projects selected will be announced in December 1998.
To find out more, you may contact the program project officers
at the following address:
St. Lawrence Vision 2000
Community Interaction
141, route de l’Église, C.P. 10100, 6th Floor
Sainte-Foy (Québec) G1V 4H5
Phone: (418) 648-3537 or 1 800 463-4311
Fax: (418) 649-6674
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