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The Columbia Shuswap Regional District is helping to spark the purchase of an electric vehicle which will help provide free door-to-door transportation for senior residents of Electoral Area E and Sicamous.
In a partnership with the Eagle Valley Transportation Society, CSRD directors unanimously approved a $25,000 contribution to purchase an electric vehicle for the program.
The Society has raised matching funds to cover the $50,000 budget for the vehicle purchase.
“Transportation has been identified as a challenge in any study done in the Eagle Valley. I want to thank the efforts of this group to identifying an issue of long-standing in the community and taking steps to address it. This is a very valuable service,” said CSRD Board Chair Rhona Martin.
Sicamous and Electoral Area E have no taxi services and limited transit and private bus options.
The funds for the contribution will be drawn from the Sicamous and Area E Economic Opportunity Fund, as the purpose of the project is to allow seniors to continue to live in their rural communities, where they can continue to contribute economically to the region.
The program is designed to give seniors continued access to the services they need, rather than see them leave the community for larger centres with increased access to services.
“When seniors age in place, they provide a solid economic benefit to the community and surrounding area by shopping local at the grocery store, pharmacy, using the post office, Interior Health Blood Clinic, hardware store, visiting the Legion and much more,” says Eagle Valley Transportation Society President Malcom Makayev in a letter to the board.
The society’s service is extremely well-used, with drivers logging as much as 3,000 km per month in volunteer trips.
Makayev also noted in his application that the majority of the seniors live in residences supported by the Eagle Valley Seniors Citizens Housing Society, which is one of the largest, year-round employers in the District of Sicamous.
The District of Sicamous has agreed to allow the society to use its vehicle charging station for free.
