B.C.’s Ministry of Community and Rural Development announced Monday evening that Sun Peaks is officially the province’s 161st incorporated municipality.
Sun Peaks is the first mountain resort municipality established under the Local Government Act and the newest municipality since the incorporation of West Kelowna in December 2007.
The provincial government presented the council with two cheques: a pro-rated small community grant for $115,597 and a per capita grant of $59,400.
The funding is to help the new council, which was elected June 12, transition Sun Peaks from an unincorporated community to a municipality.
Al Raine, a former Canadian ski team coach who is married to Olympic skier Nancy Green Raine, is the municipality’s new mayor.
Raine reportedly said the mountain resort municipality, which is located near Kamloops, will now be better able to access the services it needs such as affordable housing, a medical clinic, employee housing and road upgrades.
The new designation should also help spur development in the area much as it did in Whistler.
Sun Peaks has a full-time population of 400 residents and 900 non-resident property owners.