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City gets $66.46 million for new wastewater facility
The City of Kimberley received the largest senior level of government financial boost in its history Dec. 4 with the announcement of $66,465,370 in federal and provincial funds for a new wastewater treatment facility.
The city is going to build new wastewater infrastructure after a combined investment of more than $90.6 million, with the municipality contributing $24,173,346.
A special gathering was held Dec. 4 in the Kimberley Conference Centre with Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang making official the province’s $30,209,884 contribution to the new facility before city staff, councillors and guests, including ʔaq̓am Community Nasuʔkin Joe Pierre who provided a welcome and song of support for those building the new facility.
“Kimberley is home to a wonderful community and world-renowned outdoor recreation, from skiing and whitewater rafting to golf and fishing. My ministry continues to work with all orders of government to sustain the beauty we find here. This project protects the area from the potential flooding and ensures service reliability so that residents and tourists alike can continue to explore and enjoy outdoor activities,” Minister Kang stated.
The flooding the minister mentioned is the potential for the current city wastewater treatment plant, located in the St. Mary River floodplain, to become flooded, with ʔaq̓am the first community downstream being potentially impacted.
Once complete, the plant will provide Kimberley with high-quality, reliable wastewater treatment that minimizes potential environmental impact on the St. Mary River and communities downstream of it. It will also eliminate the risk of flooding to the site.
“Replacement of the wastewater treatment plant is the largest investment in Kimberley’s history. This essential service will go from one of the most ‘at risk’ in the province to one of the most efficient and innovative. It is truly a game-changer for the community and could not have happened without this investment,” stated City of Kimberley Mayor Don McCormick.
He praised city staff, both current and past, for their hard work on this endeavour the past few years.
“Investments in green infrastructure help us to build resilient communities while safeguarding our environment. The funding announced today will not only improve wastewater treatment in Kimberley, but will protect local inhabitants and ecosystems.
“We will continue investing in the well-being of Canadians and the preservation of our country’s natural assets,” stated John Aldag, Member of Parliament for Cloverdale—Langley City, in a media release on behalf of the Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
The new plant will replace the aging Pollution Control Centre, built in 1967, which is located in a flood-prone area.
The new facility will be located south of Marysville Falls (see below).
It will also have measures to make sure that the service is reliable and will take odour control measures to not disturb nearby communities, said Nikolaas Morissette, city Senior Manager – Operations.
He added the funding received for the new facility does not include rehabilitation of the current (old) facility, with funding needed for that future project.
Lead image: Minister of Municipal Affairs Anne Kang, centre, with Mayor Don McCormick (left) and Nasuʔkin Joe Pierre. Ian Cobb/e-KNOW photos
