Canal Flats will upgrade its flood protection along the Kootenay River thanks to over $1.2 million from the provincial and federal governments.
Richard Wayken, Chief Administrative Officer, said contractors will build a dike and upgrade its sewage infrastructure.
“This is for phase 2, which includes the installation of a dike along the west side of Kootenay Overpass, and includes some improvement funding for our sewer lagoon,” said Wayken.
“It’s split about 50/50 between the dike and sewer lagoons.”
Wayken said construction will not disrupt residents’ day-to-day activities.
“There should be no service interruptions at all. Most of the work will happen right on the riverfront, on the dike itself,” said Wayken.
Design work for phase 2 is underway right now, with construction expected to start later this summer.
“Phase 1 on the east side should be wrapped up by the end of September. Phase 2 is to be determined. We’re just going out to tender in the next couple of weeks and we have the goal of finishing up by the end of October,” explained Wayken.
In 2022, Canal Flats received $1.1 million from the federal and provincial governments for phase 1 of the project.
Once completed, the new and improved dikes will better protect the area from flooding.
“If the Kootenay River floods, it’s going to impact everyone in Canal Flats and all the way through to Golden,” said Wayken.
“This was driven by a 200-year flood plain assessment. This is important, not only to Canal Flats but to the entire Columbia Valley.”
The federal government is providing $681,200, while $567,610 will come from the B.C. government. The Village of Canal Flats is contributing a further $454,190 to the project, bringing the full budget to $1,703,000.
The funding comes from the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
More than $98 million from the federal and provincial governments, along with local partners will be split between 14 drinking and wastewater projects across B.C., including a new UV disinfection facility in Cranbrook and two new culverts in Invermere.
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