Coast Mountain News Thursday, March 1, 2012
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Russ Hilland receives appointment to BCSTA
$1.00 + HST Vol. 28 | No. 05 Thursday, March 1, 2012
Serving the Bella Coola Valley llley ey and the Chilcotin
Page 4
Michael Wigle photo
Possibly the biggest topic of the open public forum on flood-related issues will be the proposed upgrades to the Airport dike, pictured above.
Central Coast Regional District to hold public flood forum STEPHEN WAUGH, CCRD EMERGENCY PROGRAM COORDINATOR The Central Coast Regional District (CCRD) is holding an open public forum on floodrelated issues at 7:30 pm Monday, March 5 at Lobelco Hall. After all of the recent Valley flood challenges, the CCRD has been actively seeking opportunities to move forward with flood protection works that are directed by the local government on behalf of the Bella Coola Valley community. The recent announcement of
federal and provincial funding for upgrades to the Bella Coola Airport Dike is one such initiative, and the CCRD seeks input from the Valley residents on what they think about this project. The forum will start with a slideshow of the September 2010 flood of record that will show details of the event that many residents have yet to see. This will be followed by a presentation outlining the probable reasons for the 2010 and 2011 floods and providing a glimpse of what the region might expect to experience in coming years.
Recommendations from the Flood Response Advisory Committee (FRAC) to the Regional District will also form a part of this presentation, and Valley residents will receive information on the 29 different areas of flood risk that have been identified by the group since they began meeting in October 2011. The public is invited to express their concerns and ideas at the forum, and the Regional District directors are interested in learning what individuals and property owners might be planning from their own perspectives as well.
Possibly the biggest topic of the forum will be the proposed dike upgrades at the airport. The CCRD is required to become the local diking authority in order for this project to proceed, and is currently involved with completing a full Environmental Assessment of the project that includes the implications that this project has for other diking projects in the Bella Coola Valley. Area residents will need to vote on this initiative in a public referendum, and the flood forum will provide the opportunity for all attendees to ask important questions with
respect to how they might be affected by such a project. The CCRD Emergency Program recognizes that, as for other communities on the Central Coast, flood issues are the greatest threat that our Valley area currently experiences. The participation of all residents in an honest discussion is an essential component in the Regional District’s ability to provide protection and stability to our existing and future developments. Everyone is invited to attend and participate.