Submitted by Bob Payette
District of Barriere CAO
The District of Barriere’s application for $1 Million in grant funding from the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program has been approved. This much needed funding will go a long way to getting the old HY Louie Building (former IGA grocery store) in the town core and which has been sitting empty for years, renovated into leasable, commercial space. Initial planning is that some of the space will be used by the Barriere & District Chamber of Commerce with the rest to be renovated as rentable commercial space. The goal is to have the building renovation completed by the summer of 2024. This renovation will help to bring more business into Barriere by providing some much needed commercial and office spaces in our downtown core.
I would like to send out a note of appreciation to the Recreation Committee for what they have already done for Barriere in their first few months as a newly established committee. Don’t forget to visit the District’s website (www.barriere.ca) to see all upcoming recreation programming and events on the calendar. Programs and events posted include all reported community programs and events; not just those overseen by the municipality. This past month the Recreation Committee, along with staff and many volunteers, organized the annual Family Night event at the Ridge. After a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, this popular event was very well attended and appreciated. A big thank you to everyone involved with another successful community event for Barriere.
Street sweeping is the big topic this week, as well as upcoming road repairs. Council has injected an additional amount of available funding towards road maintenance as this past winter has been particularly hard on the roads in town. You will see our roads and grounds staff out there working away on roads for the next month. A lot of the initial street sweeping is being completed by district staff with the full task being undertaken by the district’s contractor this spring. Annual watermain flushing also takes place in mid-April and it is possible that water pressure and colour irregularities may be experienced for a couple weeks while this work takes place.
Stage 1 water restrictions are in place which allows for residents to be able to water and irrigate lawns and gardens according to the odd/even day schedule (7 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.). Please refer to the district’s website under “Local Notices” for details on what stage 1 means for residents in Barriere.
The new warming hut is ready at the outdoor recreation courts on Airfield Road. Pickleball nets are up and ready for summer activity.
Backup generators have been purchased and are now installed using Provincial funds which ensures continuity of water and sewer services in the very unlikely event of a lengthy power surge or outage. This includes each of the municipal water wells and wastewater facilities. A big thanks to our utilities staff for getting this critical piece of our business continuity plan and emergency response protection in place.
These past few weeks, Borrow Enterprises has commenced the installation of our new water reservoir in the Louis Creek Industrial Park (LCIP) water service area (separate from the town’s main water system), funded through the BC Community Economic Recovery Funds. This will provide potable water and consistent flow of water for fire protection and water for the industrial properties. Council has also asked staff to look into the possibility of adding a bulk water filling station to the services in the LCIP.
Stay tuned for our solid waste technician, Chris Frezell “Fraz” on CHLW The Bear Radio, 93.1FM. He will be providing updates for the community on proper recycling and other waste reduction tips. With spring cleanup on the horizon, we remind residents that composting bins are available at the TNRD Eco depot, for only $17.50 per bin. Payment is required at the district office and then you can just show the attendant at the Eco Depot for your bin.
Next on the agenda for improvements will be the downtown wastewater system upgrades. This past year, council has directed funds towards preliminary engineering designs to relocate treatment of wastewater away from the Solar Wastewater Plant located on Barriere Town Road, and concentrate on upgrading the septage receiving location behind the bottle depot. Taking on the septage treatment at that location will effectively eliminate the treatment processes in the core of downtown area. The process of reengineering this system and receiving MOE regulated approval is arduous and complicated work that staff and our engineering company have been working through over the past year. At this point, we are basically in a holding pattern for available funding as this project is grant sensitive and Barriere basically needs to wait in line for any available grant funding opportunities that occur with the province and federal grant programs.
In my previous article, we introduced our new council members for this four-year term and so far council has conducted their strategic planning, reviewed the five-year capital plan and completed their review and approval process for the final 2023 operation budget. There are also a number of rezoning applications and possible development permit applications that this new council will tackle in the coming months. Council also reviewed its Vision Statement which included is within this document for your own attention and reading.
Mayor Stamer has been extremely successful in getting the attention of the Minister of Transportation regarding the serious accidents and fatalities on Highway 5. The Minister and regional staff have stepped up patrols along the corridor, and are in the process of developing an action plan to address the safety issues along the stretch from Kamloops north to Clearwater. Additionally, council has continued dialog with Interior Health (IHA) in an effort to ensure that our medical services get the required attention and funding for services from the provincial government. In the next few weeks IHA has agreed to send out communication to residents informing us on their plans for services such as primary care, number of medical staff and confirmation of permanent ambulance services for Barriere and the surrounding communities.
Bob Payette is the CAO of the district of Barriere
READ MORE: Health care challenges, new residential developments top of mind for Barriere
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