Kelowna-Lake Country MP Stephen Fuhr crossed the lake and his riding91裸聊视频檚 boundary Tuesday to announce a timeline extension to the city for a grant that would benefit West Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant.

The City of West Kelowna now has an additional two years, until March 2022, to construct the plant.

Two years ago, Fuhr announced federal support for water infrastructure in the Central Okanagan. Eligible community projects received 50 per cent of project costs under the Clean Water Wastewater Fund (CWWF) from the government of Canada.

The remaining costs were covered by the provincial government (33 per cent) and the municipality (17 per cent).

91裸聊视频淭his new funding model represented significant fiscal relief to municipalities who were trying to deliver on necessary community water projects,91裸聊视频� said Fuhr.

91裸聊视频淚n the case of the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant project, West Kelowna had run into a number of logistical difficulties in meeting the timelines required by the CWWF.91裸聊视频�

Complications included historical flooding in 2017 and 2018, which occupied city resources. The location and purchase of non-Crown land for the new plant were delayed with a looming deadline.

West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom. (Michael Rodriguez - 91裸聊视频)

91裸聊视频淲e saw our elected officials go above and beyond for us. It has been truly amazing,91裸聊视频� said West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom.

91裸聊视频淲ithout a doubt in my mind, this project would be years away, if not completely out of reach for West Kelowna, without the support of the federal and provincial governments.91裸聊视频�

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Despite West Kelowna being out of his riding, Fuhr said people were reaching out to him and his party to get something done.

91裸聊视频淚 care about the entire Thompson-Okanagan,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭his community is very interconnected and all of it matters to me.91裸聊视频�

Upon the natural disasters in 2017 and 2018, Fuhr reached out to his colleagues and was able to get an extra year for all municipalities under the CWWF.

Fuhr said that still wasn91裸聊视频檛 enough for West Kelowna due to the additional challenge of land acquisition that the others didn91裸聊视频檛 have.

91裸聊视频淲hen you get land that91裸聊视频檚 going to change the design of the system and a whole bunch of other things trickle down from that,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t just made it impossible for them to meet the timeline.91裸聊视频�

Approached by former mayor Doug Findlater, current Mayor Milsom and MLA Ben Stewart, Fuhr felt the need from the community.

91裸聊视频淚 think this is one of the biggest infrastructure projects this city has ever undertaken,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚 said I91裸聊视频檇 do it and I took it on as if it were my own.91裸聊视频�

MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola Dan Albas. (Michael Rodriguez - 91裸聊视频)

MP Dan Albas, Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, said he is happy this is getting done despite the across-the-lake representative being the one to get the praise.

91裸聊视频淲hen there were unexpected difficulties in building the original plan, they had to shift. That included coming to myself to see how we could engage meaningfully with the government,91裸聊视频� said Albas.

91裸聊视频�(The mayor and city council) came forward with absolutely reasonable requests because either they were going to be forced to accelerate the program, which would have increased costs, or they would have missed out on grant funding.

91裸聊视频淲hen it91裸聊视频檚 about getting things done that are good for my folks, I don91裸聊视频檛 care who gets the credit. It91裸聊视频檚 about the community91裸聊视频檚 needs being met. I welcome this today because it91裸聊视频檚 a public commitment and there91裸聊视频檚 no walking away from it.91裸聊视频�

michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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