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Four-way stop to encourage slower travel and area commerce

As the Mayor sees it with District of Barriere Mayor Bill Humphreys

The District of Barriere Council has passed a motion that will allow for the proper definition of the Barriere Town Road and Barkley/Salle Road intersection and the placing of two stop signs. There are no plans for angle parking in this area at this time. The crosswalks will be clearly defined and the parallel parking spaces shifted slightly, where required, to provide safe passage through the intersection and adjacent area for both vehicles and pedestrians.

The ongoing plan for the Barriere Town Road corridor is to provide an environment that will encourage people accessing the area to travel slower and stop to enjoy the available amenities and businesses.

On September 22 and 23, the TNRD had its regular meeting out of the TNRD offices. The Board of Directors travelled to Ashcroft to be greeted by Mayor Andy Anderson who then took us up to view a presentation around the inland port being developed there. The inland terminal has recently been given a push by the federal government when it announced the allocation of $5 million towards infrastructure upgrades that will allow for both CN and CP Rail access to the terminal.

At first I had the impression that the terminal was another container facility but it turns out it is best described, as they say in the rail terminal world, as a “logistics-focused, rail-based transload facility.” It appears that the vision is much more diverse than just handling containers. For example, one project will provide for the storage of rail cars off the main lines in order to build trains for specific purposes. This is a huge benefit in that the main lines will be able to stay open for traffic. Plus, the cost of rail car storage in Ashcroft will be considerably less than in the Fraser Valley.

Mayor Anderson has been a major factor in drawing federal attention to the project and he has worked tirelessly to have the best chance for success for all involved. Mayor Anderson’s efforts provide an example of what can be done even in a small town if you think out of the box and beyond your borders.

Next we went to Cache Creek to view the land fill facility. During the presentation we heard how they are working to capture the methane gas for future use, the new methods used to capture leachate, and were able to see the trucks that use Liquefied Natural Gas. These trucks are very quiet, produce less greenhouse gas and eventually will be able to use the methane captured from the landfill to haul solid waste up from Greater Vancouver and wood chips back to the coast. Again, this is an example of how hard work and dedication to a vision or project can produce success. Mayor John Ranta has worked for many years to insure that this project goes forward in the best possible way for all involved.

Mayor Jim Rivett welcomed the Board to Clinton where the regular board meeting was held. As part of the meeting a delegation presented the details around the Gold Country Geo Caching project. The marketing manager, Ms. Terri Hadwin did a great job of explaining how geo caching works and the benefits it brings to the community.

Here in Barriere things have been busy. The BC Barrel Racing Finals were held the weekend of Aug. 18. There were lots of dedicated and skilful folks providing all sorts of entertainment. The next weekend the Little Britches Rodeo provided great entertainment. The skills of these young people are really something to see. To race into the arena and jump off while your horse is still running takes nerves of steel and hours of practice. Both of these events need our support so that they can return in the years to come.

Barriere has a long history of volunteering to make things happen. Each year the pool of volunteers seems to be shrinking despite our population growth. Events like The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo, the Provincial Winter Fair, the Little Britches Rodeo and various other events like Barriere Bandshell Fridays and Communities in Bloom, all rely on volunteers. Even if all you can commit to are a few hours of your time for a single time, it all helps.