Community Placemaking

We welcome applications led by:

• First Nations, including governments, bands, corporations controlled by First Nations, and First Nations not-for-profit organizations
• Local and regional governments, including municipalities, regional districts, and incorporated areas
• Registered not-for-profit organizations and registered charities, including:
  • community-based organizations
  • economic development organizations

We encourage proposals that foster economic reconciliation with First Nations and Indigenous people. Often, great projects create meaningful partnerships and mutually beneficial opportunities based on holistic, values-driven approaches to attaining community economic prosperity.

We don’t fund individuals, community-benefitting companies, or businesses operating for private profit. As prioritized in Our Program Goals, we encourage projects that include business participation and partnerships.

Under the Act governing the Trust, projects must be located within our defined service region. See Our Region for a map.

In recognition of First Nations territories, the Trust welcomes proposals from First Nations for projects in areas adjacent to our service region that deliver economic development outcomes benefiting communities within the region.

We fund 50% of the total project to a maximum of $40,000 per project. Our investment is always one part of a larger funding package that includes other funders and ideally a contribution from the organization leading the project.

We have a continuous intake with no posted deadlines. When we start working together, we focus on preparing a complete application for one of the three Regional Advisory Committee meetings we hold each year.

To learn more about our process, see How We Fund – Building your proposal.

We bring more to a project than money. We aim to be a true partner, invested not only in what gets built but in the impact it creates and the outcomes it delivers. Our How We Fund page walks through our developmental approach to investing in economic projects, from the first conversation to the final report:

• Connecting with us
• Building your proposal
• Submitting
• Due diligence, review, and decision
• Agreement and funding
• Project implementation and reporting

As you build your proposal, we encourage you to read our Application Form. When you are ready to submit, your complete application includes the documents below. We are glad to talk through any of them with you before you start.

Project Plan, including your description of the placemaking project you will undertake and the process you will follow to produce the following deliverables:

• An overview of the project and its alignment with your community’s vision 
• Your key placemaking goals and objectives 
• The project team and roles, including project manager, designers, contractors, and volunteers 
• The project partners, including governments, private businesses, and local groups 
• A community and business engagement summary, including who you have spoken with, what you heard, and the letters of support gathered 
• A concept design package 
• A capital expenditure budget, including funding sources and cost estimates or quotes 
• A programming and activation plan, such as events, markets, and performances 
• An operations and maintenance budget 
• Identification of risks and required approvals

Along with the project plan, please provide:

• Quotes from construction or equipment vendors
• Quotes from qualified consultants, if applicable
• Letters of support from partners, rightsholders, and key stakeholders, including local businesses
• Your most recent financial statements, audited if available
• For first-time not-for-profit or community-owned company applicants: your constitution, bylaws, articles, and current list of directors

• Roadworks, sidewalks, bike paths, paving, parking, playgrounds, bathrooms, playing fields, or other standard municipal and recreation works.
• Stand-alone elements, such as banners, murals, benches, artwork, or landscaping that are not an integral part of a broader public space concept
• Projects that only benefit private interests, or that are built on private property without a long-term agreement ensuring enduring public access and benefit
• Repairs, maintenance, or replacement of existing assets

We fund public space projects that align with one or more of our eight Investment Priorities that create places where people gather, local businesses benefit, and community economic activity grows. For the Community Placemaking program, our investments typically focus on the Entrepreneurs and Local Businesses priority. 

• Professional services fees
• Construction or installation costs requiring professional labour
• Technology integral to the project
• Materials and supplies integral to the public space concept such as:
  • Interpretive signage
  • Public space furniture and other functional elements that invite people to linger and can accommodate different gatherings and activities
  • Interactive play elements, such as musical installations, interactive sculptures, or kinetic works that engage people’s senses and creativity
• Costs incurred after Trust staff have provided written confirmation that the application is complete

In-Kind Contributions

In-kind contributions directly required to complete the approved project, such as donated or loaned equipment, donated materials, specialized equipment operator time, donated professional or technical services, and volunteer labour directly related to construction, installation, or public space implementation.

Total in-kind contributions cannot exceed 20% of eligible costs

Board or directors’ volunteer time, staff volunteer time, and discounts are not eligible

• Project development, grant writing, or other planning costs 
• Operational costs, such as the delivery of programming, or maintenance costs 
• Internal organizational staffing, administration, or overhead 
• Repair or maintenance of existing assets 
• Taxes eligible for rebates 
• Cost overruns, or costs from a project or project element that is cancelled 
• Costs incurred before Trust staff provide written confirmation that the application is complete