EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Council calls for back-up plan to deal with snow Page 3
District to serve second cooking class Page 8
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 PM40008236
Vol. 60 No. 3 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Waste water upgrades cost $1.5 million
Grants: District to apply for federal funding to bring waste treatment plant in compliance. By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The District of Sicamous is looking at $1.56 million in upgrades to get its waste-water treatment plant in line with permit requirements. During last Wednesday’s committee of the whole meeting, Sicamous council was provided an overview of a wastewater treatment plant assessment and upgrading report by Terry Underwood of TRUE Consulting. The $1.56 million, Underwood explained, is what it will cost to provide the recommended upgrades necessary to bring the district’s wastewater treatment facility in compliance with the waste management permit (issued by the Ministry of Environment) and related discharge and capacity limitations We’ve definitely until at least 2025. got a few wondering Underwood said the where the money will current system was de- come from, so we’ve signed in 1995 to handle definitely got to try a peak flow of 1,135 cu- to get this thing bic metres a day. In the funded through one summer of 2014, peak grant or another. flow reached 1,157 m3 Mayor a day, and has, in recent Terry Rysz years, reached as high as 1,171. Of greater concern to Underwood is the concentration of organics going through the system, as well as the amount of phosphorous. Regarding organics, Underwood said the plant was designed to handle 275 milligrams per litre. “Measurements indicate that number is something like 500,” said Underwood. “We’re seeing a lot more organic waste coming into the pond.” Breaking down the sources of those organics on peak flow days, Underwood pointed to black water from houseboats as the largest contributor. Couns. See Councillors challenge on page 2
Collisions: Police control traffic Friday morning as a tow truck moves in place to extract a tractor-trailer from the eastbound lane ditch of the Trans-Canada Highway east of Sicamous near the rest area. The incident occurred about 8:19 a.m. and police say the semi was westbound when the driver lost control, crossed the centre line and collided with a rock face. A passenger was taken to hospital in Salmon Arm for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Later that morning, just west of the first collision, the driver of a westbound semi lost control, the vehicle spun around until it stopped facing the opposite direction in the westbound ditch. Police say road conditions and speed were factors in both incidents. Photo by Lachlan Labere
CSRD directors want action on highway corridor
Upgrades: Martin encourages follow through on four-laning of TCH. By Barb Brouwer Eagle Valley News
A rash of motor-vehicle incidents on the Trans-Canada Highway this winter prompted Columbia Shuswap Regional directors to call on the federal government for action. At their Jan. 15 meeting, CSRD directors agreed to send a letter to Ottawa requesting a meeting and information on federal plans to upgrade the highway. Newly elected Area A Rural Golden director Karen Cathcart’s Jan. 6 letter to Kootenay-
Columbia MP David Wilkes expressed “deep concern” about the five fatalities that occurred on Highway 1 between Golden and Revelstoke over the Christmas season. Cathcart noted she is aware highway upgrades have been discussed at the ministry level for many years and asked “What are your plans to upgrade the highway in the near future? Are you able to provide timelines for funding?” The Area A director also asked for a meeting with Wilkes while he is in town this week.
“But this is a problem for all of us,” she said. Back in the Revelstoke mayor’s chair after a two-term hiatus, Mark McKee agreed, pointing out he is putting a presentation together for a meeting with Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone that is being arranged through East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett. McKee provided new directors with background information, explaining that when he last sat at the CSRD board, he was part of a group with representation from Cache Creek to
the Alberta border who asked the province to put $10 million aside per year for TCH upgrades. Acknowledging that while money for upgrades is not likely to appear for a “big fix” in the near future, he said there are operational issues that can be addressed to help reduce the number of accidents and fatalities. “On average, there are 15 fatal accidents and 220 injuries a year,” he said, noting there were seven highway closures in the first seven days of the See Quality on page 2