Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
The Town of Oliver is dogged and determined to get federal funding for the Gallagher Lake siphon repair project.
Chief Administrative Officer Cathy Cowan will give council an update on Monday.
Do you want the good news or bad news first?
The good news: Cowan says the province has indicated there is no expiry date on its promised $5 million funding, but the money won’t be guaranteed for an extended period of time.
The bad news: Cowan says the repair project has not been selected for federal funding under Canada’s Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. However, it may qualify under a second intake.
Cowan says she checked with Municipal Affairs to see if the project would qualify for funding under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, but learned that agricultural water does not qualify.
The Town is now in discussions with the federal government regarding funding through the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act.
In the meantime, the Town is brainstorming actions on what to do to protect the siphon against future rock falls. One idea is building a cover for $200,000.
Council has also been discussing an emergency plan in case the siphon is compromised this summer by another slide. Utilizing pumps and equipment to pump around the damage is one method.
The $11 million repair project that council previously approved consists of rerouting the canal around Gallagher Lake along Highway 97 south.
