The Columbia Valley’s Newspaper Since 1956
From Canal Flats to Spillimacheen
VALLEY ECHO T he
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 Wednesday, March 13, 2013
invermerevalleyecho.com
Vol. 56 Issue 40
1
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Hints of spring appearing in the valley Pg A12
Kootenay Freestyle Classic rocks Panorama Pg A16
Time running out for Eagle's Nest water solution
MaxWell Realty Invermere
Going with the flow
Residents moving towards joint water system, as $400,000 grant is set to expire on March 31 GREG AMOS editor@invermerevalleyecho.com
Referenda are on the agenda following a five-hour meeting in Canal Flats on Saturday, March 9th, as residents and councillors attempted to unravel the Eagle's Nest water issue ahead of a looming grant deadline. The village neighbourhood, which has been under a boil water advisory for a decade, must upgrade its water system by January 2015 to meet Interior Health standards. But unless provincial approval for a one-year extension is received, the village must find a way to apply the remaining funds of a $400,000 Towns for Tomorrow grant by March 31st. “If we don't get the extension, I'm not too sure what we're going to do at this point,” Canal Flats chief administrative officer Brian Woodward told The Echo. Though the village and the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development agree on the urgency of the situation, no meeting has been set up so far, meaning the $269,000 remaining in the grant, which dates back to 2007, could simply evaporate. The crux of the issue is the cost incurred on those who own the 62 properties in the Eagle's Nest and Painted Ridge subdivisions, who are on a separate water service area than the rest of the village.
A list of six initial options for providing potable water to the neighbourhood has now boiled down to two front-running ideas — building a new standalone spring-fed water reservoir adjacent to the Eagles' Nest area, or connecting the Eagle's Nest water system to the village's water system via a 12-inch water main stretching nearly three kilometres. Eagle's Nest water is currently stored in a small wooden reservoir that dates back to 1969, and bears stains from water that slowly soaks through its side. It's also located at the end of rough road that itself incurs significant maintenance costs. While early engineering estimates peg each option at roughly $1.6 million in capiKRISTIAN RASMUSSEN PHOTO Koeye Hart-McAllister shows he's well-versed in reverse during the Syndicate rail jam at Panorama tal cost, the yearly operating Mountain Village on the evening of Saturday, March 9, during the Mountain Stampede weekend. costs differ substantially — a new reservoir in the Eagle's Nest area would cost about and the Eagle's Nest neighbourhood. In the original intent of the grant, as many $2,000 per resident to run each year, either scenario, operating costs would believed it was meant solely for Eagle's while pumping costs associated with an be borne by residents in the Eagles Nest Nest and should not be directed toextended water main are estimated at Water Service area, while capital costs wards general water improvements. $660 per resident per year. would be shared between residents of Consensus at the meeting began to Extending the water line would carry the village, residents of Eagle's Nest, emerge towards connecting the Eagle's an additional related cost — building and remaining grant funds. Nest and village water systems. an $800,000 reservoir that would be At issue for many Eagle's Nest homelarge enough to service both Canal Flats owners at the Saturday meeting was CONTINUES TO 'MEETING' ON PAGE A9
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