LOCAL NEWS: CARTER WINS FISH DERBY ▼ A11
Times
Thursday, January 31, 2013 ▼ Volume 48 No. 5 ▼ www.clearwatertimes.com ▼ $1.40 Includes HST
THE
NORTH THOMPSON
BOYS SAVE LIFE:
Second Place General Excellence B.C. and Yukon <2,000 circulation 2012
Basketball players help choking bus driver. See page A3 inside.
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Clearwater receives federal funding grants
Clearwater’s septage management facility will be located near the presM.P. Cathy McLeod ent sewage lagoons, said announced two major Mayor John Harwood. grants while in Clearwater Canfor has agreed to on Saturday. provide land for a new The first was for $1.4 road into the facility so million in gas tax money trucks won’t need to go by to construct septage residences to get to it. management facilities in Both the Clearwater Clearwater and Barriere. and Barriere facilities will The second was for be operated in $92,000 to partnership with upgrade the Thompsonformer Dutch Nicola Regional Lake School District. into a commuThe facilinity center. ties will help “I think make the North this is a really Thompson important Valley a better addition to place for famiyour communilies to live, grow ties,” McLeod and work, said said of the TNRD board septage manchair Randy agement projMurray. ect. “Kudos to The M.P. Cathy McLeod the people who Clearwater facilwaded through ity will mean the federal a long haul application for septic tank form.” sludge from The two the Blue River area, said facilities will be used to Thompson Headwaters treat sludge that has been pumped from septic tanks. (Area B) director Willow MacDonald. However, it About 7,300 people in the will be much shorter than North Thompson Valley or 90 per cent of the popu- hauling to Heffley Creek. “I’m thankful that we lation depend on septic were involved in the discustanks, said McLeod. sions,” she said. Until now, contractors have hauled the sludge District to move into Dutch for disposal at pits at the Lake School Clearwater and Barriere M.P. McLeod said landfills. Those landfills are clos- she has been involved in discussions to upgrade ing, however, and a new method of disposal needed Dutch Lake School for several years. to be found. Several funding The alternative would sources were explored have been to haul the septic sludge to Heffley Creek. before the success-
Keith McNeill
“
Kudos to the people who waded through the federal application form.
”
Four of the dignitaries present for an announcement on Saturday of federal funding for septage management facilities in Clearwater and Barriere, plus for upgrading Dutch Lake School for a community centre pose for a photograph. Pictured are (l-r) Clearwater Mayor John Harwood, M.P. Cathy McLeod, TNRD chair Randy Murray, and S.D.73 vice-chair Kathleen Karpuk. Photo by Keith McNeill
ful application to the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund produced the $92,000 announced on Saturday. “I look forward to Dutch Lake being the important facility that it should be,” said McLeod. School District 73 has agreed to lease the former school for 25 years (in five-year blocks) at $1 per year, said Mayor John Harwood. Plans include handicap access and bathrooms, rooms for seniors, free
space for non-profits to meet, as well as art and theater to make use of the stage in the gym. The former school will be a stop on the local transit system. The money from the federal government will augment $50,000 from Wells Gray Community Forest for the project. District of Clearwater plans to move its offices from the Flats to the Dutch Lake School. It will, however, keep the maintenance yard in
its present location. About half the former school will be used by the District while the other half will be used by Yellow Community Services. It appears that possibly the Community Resource Center, now managed by YCS, will move from its present location next to Raft River Elementary to Dutch Lake. The mayor praised YCS executive director Jack Keough for his cooperation on the project.
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“We are very happy that this has come to fruition,” said S.D. 73 vicechair Kathleen Karpuk. “We’re absolutely delighted to see the school back in use again.” Other dignitaries present for Saturday’s announcement included Barriere Mayor Bill Humphreys, Wells Gray Country director Tim Pennell. Lower North Thompson director Bill Kershaw, and TNRD chief administrative officer Sukh Gill.
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