The B.C. government says it’s giving an additional $1.87-million in rent breaks to rural commercial recreation operators across the province.
The funding is aimed at helping businesses that hold eligible tenures for fishing and hunting lodges, guest ranches, ecotourism lodges, seasonal campgrounds and other commercial recreation operators amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government says the rent forgiveness would affect an additional 438 businesses operating on Crown land.
“These businesses contribute significantly to rural economies, and this assistance will help remote communities recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development in a statement.
Commercial recreation operators that hold Land Act tenures or Park Act permits may be eligible to have the annual base rent that they pay to the Province waived for one year.
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The government adds that this is on top of the $1.36 million allocated for rent forgiveness in September 2020.
According to the Province, the total amount of rent forgiveness that has been provided to eligible rural commercial recreation businesses is $3.23 million for 1,473 tenures and permits (about $2.89 million for 990 Land Act tenures and about $341,000 for 483 Park Act permits).
“Our government is committed to continued support for people and businesses that provide campground spots for outdoor recreation,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “As part of our overall response to this global pandemic, this funding helps ensure people have continued access to healthy activity in nature and the outdoors, while also providing economic benefits to rural and remote communities.”
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