Funds available to improve Electoral Area A and B business storefronts

Pemberton, BC – The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD)’s Business Façade Improvement Program is returning for 2025, offering support to commercial property owners in the Bridge River Valley and rural Lillooet. Eligible businesses in Electoral Area A and Electoral Area B can apply for grants of up to $5,000 until March 31, to enhance their storefronts.

The program, funded by Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), assists eligible property and business owners in renovating, restoring, or redesigning commercial building façades and storefronts. The improvements can include new siding, lighting, signage, murals, and more. 

“This initiative not only supports our local businesses but also contributes to the enhancement of our regional economy, and the vibrancy of our communities,” said Jen Ford, SLRD Board Chair. “We are thrilled to offer this program again, and encourage all eligible businesses to take advantage of this opportunity,” she said. “As a cooperative venture between businesses, property owners, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, the Business Façade Improvement Program aims to support beautifying the streetscape for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike.”

Existing buildings with a commercial storefront located within SLRD Electoral Area A (Bridge River Valley) and Electoral Area B (rural Lillooet) are eligible for this program. Projects are eligible for a 50% reimbursement grant, with a minimum total project cost of $1,000, and applications for funding support must be received prior to the start of the improvements. The application deadline is March 31, 2025, following which, remaining funds will continue to be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Business owners in the region should visit the Business Façade Improvement Program page on the SLRD website to learn more about the program, review guidelines and eligibility details, and access the application process and form, which can be submitted by email, mail or in person.  

-30-

Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First
Nations, including the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts
of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.