Chris Stedile
Castlegar News
Connors Road residents addressed Castlegar city council again Monday, imploring them to do something about a bike path that traverses their neighbourhood.
John Phillips, John Shirley, and Nesta Hale all believe the city made a mistake and should either meet with them or fix the crossing. Hale said the crossing has “damaged our neighborhood and depreciated our home values.”
Shirley — whose house is directly across from the crossing — was present only to ask when the City would be providing him with a written answer to the question he posed several weeks ago.
“Why was the crossing corridor between Connors Road and Highway 3 not resurveyed in 2014, when the last time it was surveyed was in 2012?” he asked. Shirley said in 2013 Canadian Pacific re-marked the track, ultimately resulting in the crossing being put in the wrong location.
Phillips called it a mistake.
“There is no mistake,” councillor Deb McIntosh answered. “The fact of the matter is the pathway is there, the train crossing is there, and we’re going to have to find ways to make it a little nicer for you, but the pathway stays and we’re going to move on with the pedestrian/bike plan.”
Phillips asked repeatedly for the city to meet with residents but both McIntosh and councillor Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff made it clear council is already aware of the concerns.
“You tell us to come, and we come, and it’s like talking to a stump,” Phillips remarked.
Nevertheless, city administrator John Malcolm told Shirley he would receive a written response within the week.
Waterline will be extended to Southeast Fire Centre
A new pipeline will deliver water to the Southeast Fire Centre.
The Southeast Fire Centre — located at the West Kootenay Regional Airport — encompasses the area extending from the US border to the Mica Dam and from the Okanagan Highlands to the BC/Alberta border.
Council voted in favour of entering into an agreement to supply water to the centre and authorized staff to add a water supply connection from an existing airport well building to the fire centre.
Civic works director Chris Barlow explained that planes will fill their water tankers at the centre. Traditionally a line has gone from the airport to the Columbia River to get their water to fight forest fires.
“That line is starting to show its age and is giving them problems,” Barlow said.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations were looking for alternatives to get water to the site.
They approached the city about connecting to the city’s system but Barlow said using potable water was not the city’s top priority at that time.
The existing well building will be used and a new line will be constructed at a cost of about $50,000.
The base charge for use of the new line is $5,700, paid to the city.