WEDNESDAY
S I N C E
OCTOBER 30, 2013
1 8 9 5 Smokies name new bench boss
Vol. 118, Issue 171
105
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INCLUDING G.S.T.
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PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF ROSSLAND, WARFIELD, TRAIL, MONTROSE, FRUITVALE & SALMO
City considers removing historical dam
GOING POST TO POST
BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
It has been almost 20 years since Trail has drawn water for municipal use from an open water source known as the Cambridge reservoir in the area of Violin Lake. Now, the city is investigating measures to decommission the Cambridge Dam, a barrier to water drawn from Violin Lake and stored in the reservoir, historically known as the mill pond. “The dam is in good shape and kept up to specifications,” said Warren Proulx, Trail’s working foreman and engineering technician. “But we want to eliminate this responsibility because it no longer has value to the city.” In 1994 Trail established the Columbia River as the city’s main water supply source and built modernized water treatment facilities, in part due to the 1990 community outbreak of giardiasis (beaver fever) a parasitic gastrointestinal infection traced to inadequately treated drinking water pulled from the reservoir. After the treatment plant using the Columbia River was completed, the city decided to maintain the infrastructure of the Cambridge Creek/Violin Lake water system as a back up water supply. However, four years later, Trail’s conditional water license was cancelled by the Ministry of Environment (MOE), under the Water Act, because the water system was deemed no longer actively used for domestic water supply purposes. The reservoir is still active as a man-made lake (on private property) and the city is responsible for monitoring the dam. However, in light of increased costs and tightened government regulations to maintain privately owned dams, council has backed the decision to decommission the Cambridge Dam, said Proulx. “There is a cost to inspect and maintain the dam,” he explained. “It would save us time and time is money,” Proulx continued. “And it would release the city of any liability if the dam ever burst.” Since the breach of the privately-owned Testalinden Creek Dam eight kilometres south of Oliver in 2010, which caused enormous debris and mud torrent that impacted homes and agriculture in the area, the ministry has stepped up efforts to monitor B.C. dams to mitigate loss of life and damage to property and the environment in cases of a dam break. According to the MOE, the Cambridge Dam is classified as high consequence, meaning if it ever breached, downstream impacts would be devastating. See AREA, Page 3
GUY BERTRAND PHOTO
Jason Morrison of Maglio Installations smooths out the edges of concrete bases for posts installed in front of the Trail Memorial Centre on Tuesday. The posts will not only enhance the visual appeal in front of the centre but also serve as a barrier to prevent vehicles from parking in front of the entrance.
Smart meter forum moving to Trail BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
A group of Montrose citizens opposed to wireless smart meters is heading down the hill and holding a public forum in the Trail Memorial Centre gymnasium Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. Eileen Como, Montrose Coun. Mary Gay and Trail resi-
dent Roger Catalano, members of the West Kootenay Coalition to Stop Smart Meters, approached Trail council at the Monday governance meeting to request a rental waiver from the city to support an educational forum about FortisBC’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project.
“As a private citizen with no financial budget we want to educate citizens who are not getting the information about this topic and what we are facing,” explained Como. “We want all people living in the Fortis service area to be informed about what is happening.” Earlier this month the
group approached Montrose council to support a town hall meeting, which did happen, however the trio is expecting the public turnout to exceed the 100-seat capacity at the village hall. “Montrose council is in support but we need a bigger facility and we would like to See FORUM, Page 3
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