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Trail council approves bridge lighting project SHERI REGNIER Trail Times
The city will be extra flashy during the revamped Silver City Days festivities this coming year. The Victoria Street Bridge lighting project will go to tender this month after Trail council gave the go-ahead during Monday’s governance meeting. Estimated to cost $510,000, the job was given pre-approval in the 2016 capital budget mostly related to successful fundraising efforts and logistics - Trail’s revitalized May event is only five months away and the city has work permits from the ministry in place. “We want to start “We want the construction early next year to meet this lighting to be key deadline of the installed and end of April,” says Trail tested before Mayor Mike Martin. Silver City Days “We want the lighting to be installed and and make the tested before Silver first lighting City Days and make during Silver the first lighting during Silver City Days.” City Days.” Lighting up the MAYOR MIKE MARTIN city’s main connector was first introduced to council two years ago by the Downtown Opportunities and Action Committee. Trail’s former council agreed to fund the project 50 per cent, once the group raised $190,000, which at the time, was half the project’s cost. Only one year into its Buy-a-Light campaign, in addition to a run of major sponsorships, the group is nearing that goal. “The city made a commitment to the DOAC that should they be able to reach that funding level, the city would be prepared to fund the balance,” added Martin. The current price tag exceeds the original estimate by $135,000. For that reason, council’s vote to move ahead was not unanimous. “Anytime we’ve had discussions I have always been opposed, based on the timing,” says Coun. Carol Dobie. “I have always said I am not against lighting the bridge, I’m against lighting the bridge right now.” She reasons the city’s current major undertakings, the pipe bridge and new library museum, CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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From the left; IH Board Chair Erwin Malzer, President and CEO Chris Mazurkewich, Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Acute Health Services Director Jane Cusden and IH Board Director Pat Dooley chat with KBRH emergency department head and KB High Acuity Response Team medical director Dr. Jeff Hussey on Tuesday during a tour of the facility.
New Interior Health boss visits KBRH VAL ROSSI Trail Times
Interior Health’s new CEO Chris Mazurkewich made a point of stopping in Trail Tuesday to speak with hospital staff and elected officials. A tour of Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital gave him a real snapshot of what infrastructure improvements need to be made, with the hospital’s Sustainability Project submission still pending. The plan puts emergency, ambulatory care and pharmacy at the centre of an upgrade to the regional hospital with Poplar Ridge residents potentially moving to allow for reconfiguration. “I don’t know if that’s the final resting point when I walk through the hospital,” he said. “I think that’s a good start, but we have to get it approved.” Mazurkewich, who was appointed CEO in October, just finished speaking
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with elected officials, updating them on the plan, or rather lack of one at this time. Trail Mayor Mike Martin was among the group that was expecting some guidelines from the Ministry of Health on moving the project forward to the next stage of planning. But instead he found that the plan was sent back to Interior Health (IH) for the health authority to investigate whether they could fund the $40-million facelift. The conclusion was that IH could not do it solely at this time since several other projects are in the pipeline. “There was clear recognition on the part of Interior Health staff that the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital is desperately in need of upgrades to the ambulatory care, emergency and pharmacy areas,” said Martin. He had meetings last year at the hospital board level but also more recently in Vancouver in the fall, when there was
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no indication that this project was not moving forward. “It is so important to our community, and we feel a little bit let down,” said Martin, who was assured that IH does consider the improvement a priority but how it’s approached is the question. Mazurkewich indicated that improving the culture of a hospital can often be tied to infrastructure improvements, which also is a tool when recruiting professionals. A doctor shortage is on his radar, and he is following closely to see how nurse practitioners working in the Interior can help alleviate primary care pressure. “We’re seeing that there has been a well-documented physician shortage, plus the lifestyle changes with physicians as well, and so we’re seeing that in a number of communities,” he said. “It’s not just unique to Trail; it’s not unique to the Kootenay Boundary.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Contact the Times:
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