Good News $8.5 Million

It was good news and smiles all round today at Cranbrook City Hall.

David Wilks MP for Kootenay Columbia announced today that the City of Cranbrook would receive another 8.5million dollars towards the completion of Cranbrook’s major wastewater treatment upgrades. These funds will come from the Gas Tax Fund.

There are four phases of the waste-water treatment improvements to be completed but according to Jamie Hodge, City Engineer, these funds will enable ultra-violet treatment to be applied to the effluent that currently irrigates both the cattle feed and provides their drinking ‘water’. This provision is significant, as there has been much concern expressed about the effluent provided to cattle for drinking and the ultra violet treatment had been put on hold due to funding restrictions. The funding will also be applied to installation of aeration systems, completion of the transfer pipeline and improvements to the pump stations.

Mayor Stetski thanked the federal and provincial governments and the UBCM for their support of the Wastewater Improvement Program.  He said,  "This funding will allow us to vastly improve our treatment of effluent to better serve our community and our ranching partners"

Councillor Cross, Maryse Leroux,(Policy Analyst), Jamie Hodge, (City Engineer), Heath Slee, (President, UBCM), Mayor Wayne Stetski, MLA Bill Bennett, MP David Wilks, Councillors Pallesen,Warner and Davis

The Union of British Columbia Municipalities(UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in BC in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia. On December 15th 2011 the Government of Canada passed legislation to make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion. Heath Slee, President of UBCM and also present at this announcement said, “ UBCM appreciates the support the Gas Tax program is providing as local governments upgrade core facilities".