The Community Works Fund (CWF) is one of the funding streams of the Canada Community-Building Fund. The CWF allocates funding to all local governments in BC based on a per capita formula that includes a funding floor. Local governments may direct the funding towards eligible costs of eligible projects as set out in the CWF agreement and report annually on these projects and their outcomes. The Community Works Fund allocation table outlines expected payments for 2024-2029.
Eligible Project Categories
CWF can be used towards eligible costs of the following eligible investment categories. For further information on each project category, click on the category to expand and see examples of eligible projects.
Roads, bridges and active transportation (active transportation refers to investments that support active methods of travel). Examples include:
- New construction and rehabilitation of local roads, bridges, cycling lanes, sidewalks paths, and hiking trails
- Intelligent Transportation systems
- Additional capacity for high occupancy/transit lanes, grade separations, interchange structures, tunnels, intersections and roundabouts
Infrastructure that supports drinking water conservation, collection, treatment and distribution systems. Examples include:
- Drinking water treatment infrastructure
- Drinking water distribution system (including metering)
Infrastructure that supports wastewater and storm water collection, treatment and management systems. Examples include:
- Wastewater collection systems and or wastewater treatment facilities or systems
- Separation of combined sewers and or combined sewer overflow control, including real-time control and system optimization
- Separate storm water collection systems and or storm water treatment facilities or systems
- Wastewater sludge treatment and management systems
Infrastructure that generates or increases efficient use of energy. Examples include:
- Renewable electricity generators
- Electric vehicle infrastructure/fleet vehicle conversion
- Hydrogen infrastructure (generation, distribution, storage)
- Wind/solar/thermal/geothermal energy systems
- Alternative energy systems that serve local government infrastructure
- Retrofit of local government buildings and infrastructure not captured in any other eligible category
Infrastructure which supports a shared passenger transport system which is available for public use. Examples include:
- Transit infrastructure such as rail and bus rapid transit systems, and related facilities
- Buses, rail cars, ferries, Para-transit vehicles, and other rolling stock and associated infrastructure
- Intelligent Transport Systems such as fare collection, fleet management, transit priority signalling, and real time traveler information system at stations and stops
- Related capital infrastructure including bus lanes, streetcar and trolley infrastructure, storage and maintenance facilities, security enhancement, and transit passenger terminals
Infrastructure that supports solid waste management systems including the collection, diversion and disposal of recyclables, compostable materials and garbage. Examples include:
- Solid waste diversion projects including recycling, composting and anaerobic digestion facilities that are clearly linked to a solid waste management plan or sustainability plan.
- Solid waste disposal projects including thermal processes, gasification, and landfill gas recovery
- Solid waste disposal strategies that reduce resource use that are clearly linked to a solid waste management plan or sustainability plan
Amateur sport infrastructure (excludes facilities, including arenas, which would be used as a home of professional sports teams or major junior hockey teams). Examples include:
- Sport infrastructure for community public use
- Sport infrastructure in support of major amateur athletic events
Recreational facilities or networks. Examples include:
- Large facilities or complexes which support physical activity such as arenas, gymnasiums, swimming pools, sports fields, tennis, basketball, volleyball or other sport---specific courts, or other facilities that have sport and/or physical activity as a primary rationale;
- Community centers that offer programming to the community at large, including all segments of the population
- Networks of parks, fitness trails and bike paths
Infrastructure that supports arts, humanities, and heritage. Examples include:
- Museums
- The preservation of designated heritage sites
- Local government owned libraries and archives
- Facilities for the creation, production, and presentation of the arts
- Infrastructure in support of the creation of a cultural precinct within an urban core
Infrastructure that attracts travelers for recreation, leisure, business or other purposes. Examples include:
- Convention centers
- Exhibition hall-type facilities
- Visitor centres
Infrastructure that reduces or eliminates long-term impacts and risks associated with natural disasters. Examples include:
- Construction, modification or reinforcement of structures that protect from, prevent or mitigate potential physical damage resulting from extreme natural events, and impacts or events related to climate change
- Modification, reinforcement or relocation of existing public infrastructure to mitigate the effects of and/or improve resiliency to extreme national events and impacts or events related to climate change
Note: this category is related to disaster prevention (such as dykes, berms, seismic upgrades etc.) and not response (such as fire trucks, fire halls etc.)
Infrastructure that provides internet access to residents, businesses, and/or institutions in British Columbia. Examples include:
- High-speed backbone
- Point of presence
- Local distribution within communities
- Satellite capacity
Remediation or decontamination and redevelopment of a brownfield site within municipal boundaries, where the redevelopment includes: the construction of public infrastructure as identified in the context of any other category under the GTF, and/or the construction of municipal use public parks and publicly-owned social housing. Examples include:
- New construction of public infrastructure as per the categories listed under the Federal Gas Tax Agreement
- New construction of municipal use public parks and affordable housing
Airport related infrastructure (excludes National Airport System). Examples include:
- Construction projects that enhance airports and are accessible all year---round, through the development, enhancement or rehabilitation of aeronautical and/or non--- aeronautical infrastructure (includes runways, taxiways, aprons, hangars, terminal buildings etc.)
- Non-aeronautical infrastructure such as groundside access, inland ports, parking facilities, and commercial and industrial activities
Railway related infrastructure for carriage of passengers or freight. Examples include:
- Construction of lines to allow a railway to serve an industrial park, an intermodal yard, a port or a marine terminal
- Construction, rehabilitation, or upgrading of tracks and structures, excluding regular maintenance, to ensure safe travel
- Construction, development or improvement of facilities to improve interchange of goods between modes
- Procurement of technology and equipment used to improve the interchange of goods between modes
- Operators must offer year-round service
Infrastructure related to the movement of cargo and passengers around the coast and on inland waterways, without directly crossing an ocean. Examples include:
- Specialized marine terminal intermodal facilities or transhipment (marine to marine) facilities
- Capitalized equipment for loading/unloading required for expansion of short---sea shipping
- Technology and equipment used to improve the interface between the marine mode and the rail/highways modes or to improve integration within the marine mode including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Note: The purchase of vessels, infrastructure that supports passenger-only ferry services, rehabilitation and maintenance of existing facilities such as wharves and docks, and dredging are not eligible for funding.
Fire hall and fire station infrastructure* Examples include:
- New fire hall (building) for housing fire-fighting apparatus and staff (may include attached dorms, basic training facilities and administration areas)
- Retro-fit and modernization of existing firehalls and attached building space
- Acquisition of a fire-truck as a capital asset as part of an overall capital upgrade to an existing fire hall or construction of a new firehall
Note, the following investments are not eligible in the Fire Halls and Fire Stations category:
- Acquisition or replacement of fire trucks or other vehicles as a standalone project
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) and gear and other fire station related equipment
- Fire hydrants and reservoirs
- Communications devices (Ex.: Cell phones, radios, pagers)
- Structural Protection Units and contents
*Exclusive to the Fire Halls and Fire Stations category, costs must have been incurred after April 1, 2021 to be eligible for investment.
Asset Management
Increase local government capacity to undertake asset management planning practices. Examples include:
- Asset Management Practices Assessment
- Current State of Assets Assessment
- Asset Management Policy
- Asset Management Strategy
- Asset Management Plan
- Long-Term Financial Plan
- Asset Management Practices Implementation Plan
- Asset Management Plan Annual Report
Integrated Community Sustainability Plans
Increase local government capacity to undertake integrated community sustainability plans. Examples include:
- Integrated community sustainability plans
- Regional growth strategies
- Community development plans
- Community plans
Long-term Infrastructure Plans
Examples include:
- Transportation plans
- Infrastructure development plans
- Liquid waste management plans
- Solid waste management plans
- Long-term cross-modal transportation plans
- Water conservation/demand management plans
- Drought management contingency plans
- Air quality plans
- GHG reduction plans
- Energy conservation plans