Peters Family Memorial Ball Tourney fosters fun and memories Page 12
Standard The Hope
Office: 604.869.2421 www.hopestandard.com
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015
news@hopestandard.com
3 MYSTERY Coroners service hopes to solve mystery of a body found 25 years ago near Boston Bar.
4 ELECTION Election 2015: Federal politicians are making their pitch to parents.
WILL BRANDT PHOTO
Sunset Over Hope 8 LOSING IT When Tony Pavick discovered there was no Weight Watchers group in Hope, he decided to do something about it.
INSIDE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Community . . . . . 11 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Classifieds . . . . . 14 $
1(PLUS GST)
Smoke from wildfires burning in northern Washington State blew into Hope over the weekend, prompting air quality advisories throughout the eastern Fraser Valley, and generating eerie sunsets like the one captured here by Will Brandt. Shifting winds helped push smoke out of the region on Tuesday, ending the air quality advisory.
Waterworks user fume over planned rate increase Local 753 Waterworks Ltd. says money needed for upgrades By Erin Knutson Hope Standard
Local 753 Waterworks Ltd. users are outraged this week with the advent of a letter written on behalf of the water distribution company for an application to increase utility costs. The initial letter gave Hope residents dependent on the system two weeks to respond, further fueling the fire, and adding insult to injury according to protesting voices, who flooded the Hope Standard with concerns, calls, and letters to the editor. The 753 Waterworks Ltd. letter
states to users that funds are needed for further repairs and upgrading to a system that has been degraded over the years. The request has arrived on the back of a recent application on behalf of the company that included a 300 per cent increase just over a year ago. “It is required to fund the shortfall in funding to put in a new well at an estimated cost of $190,000 and the amount of funding available in the utility’s replacement reserve accounts. The new well at a greater depth of 140 feet compared to the old well at 100 feet is required be-
cause the water reserve is not filling at levels high enough for the old well to efficiently access the water,” stated the original letter drafted and signed by Neil Murphy of 753 Waterworks Ltd. The increase stipulates that the current fee of $30 a month will be increased to $50 a month on September 1, including an additional levy of $190 per month for three consecutive months for a total of $570 per household. “This is ridiculous,” said Dale Kjemhus, current 753 water user. “They wait until the equipment is
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totally outdated and the situation is desperate and then they want the client to bale them out.” Concerns over paying to a company that has recently been assisted by the District of Hope, has users wondering why they are paying into 753 when the District is still needed to facilitate proper water flow by supplying the emergency hook up. “Perhaps the system should just be turned over to the District of Hope,” said Kjemhus. Mayor Wilfried Vicktor responded on behalf of the District, which Continued on page 3
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