By Lyonel Doherty
As the Town of Oliver continues to wait for federal funding to help fix the Gallagher Lake siphon, one councillor believes they shouldn’t wait too long.
During a council discussion last week on the irrigation canal, Rick Machial said they need a contingency plan in case funding falls through.
The concern stems from a previous rock fall that damaged a section of flume at Gallagher Lake. A temporary fix was made, but the Town embarked on a plan to permanently repair the siphon at a cost of $10 million. The plan is to reroute this section of flume away from the rock bluff along Highway 97 south.
The Town received a commitment from the provincial government to fund about half of the cost. It is hoping the federal government will chip in too, but there has been no commitment yet.
Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Cowan said they have been constantly talking to the federal government about the funding, but nothing has happened yet. She told council they should be hearing something within the next six months.
But Machial said the Town needs a backup plan.
“We have to seriously look at protecting the canal while it’s working.”
Director of Operations Shawn Goodsell said the Gallagher Lake siphon is holding up well, but they may have to implement rolling shut-offs if they run into capacity issues.
Machial said farmers can live with that as long as they know what days the pumphouse has to shut down.
