The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is providing a red bin day program through the Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) program as an incentive for residents to undertake vegetation management activities. To qualify residents need to work together and gather a minimum of five neighbours (while maintaining a physical distance) to complete individual home or community FireSmart assessments. Using the assessment is an education tool, homeowners are given recommendations for reducing the risk of wildfire at the home and are provided a “Red Bin Day” to undertake FireSmart activities supported by the RDN and their local Fire Department through the entire process.
The program is intended to provide support and knowledge from certified Local FireSmart Representatives that will leave residents with the tools necessary to continue mitigating the risk of Wildland Urban Interface fires on their own year after year. The RDN FireSmart activities ties into the FireSmart Canada Wildfire Community Preparedness Day program which is designed to support communities across Canada with holding FireSmart events. Successful applicants get $500 that can be used for any FireSmart activities. The Spider Lake Community has exemplified what can happen when neighbours get together and have not only achieved FireSmart Canada Community Recognition status, they have also successfully received the $500 FireSmart Canada grant to continue reducing the impacts of wildfires in their community.
