I’m very pleased to announce that a new series of town hall meetings will be held throughout Area C starting in December 2019, and continuing into 2020.
Our first session will be on Saturday Dec. 7, at 10 am at the Cedar Centre, 2316 Lakeview Dr., in Sorrento. The topic will be Winter Roads Maintenance Plans, and our guest speaker will be Gabe Nava from AIM Roads, the newly appointed contractor assigned all roads maintenance responsibilities in our area by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. This is a very important topic for all residents in the South Shuswap, so I would encourage you to attend to have your questions addressed.
Throughout 2020, the intention is to address a wide range of important community issues at these Town Hall sessions. A preliminary list of topics includes:
• Economic development in the South Shuswap: Shuswap Economic Development is a service and function that was previously provided through the CSRD. However, the CSRD board has recently approved the formation of a non-government agency to manage this function. The structure, governance and terms of reference of the new organization have yet to be determined, so this town hall topic will provide an opportunity for the community to provide its input.
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• Update on the Shuswap Watershed Council: A three-year study sponsored by the Council and managed by experts from the University of British Columbia-Okanagan is now complete, and the final report is now being prepared. The results of the study will provide information on the sources and amounts of phosphorous being deposited in our watershed. In addition, the activities of the SWC will be discussed at this session and community input will be obtained.
• Development of the South Shuswap Destination Trail: The South Shuswap peninsula has been mapped by the Shuswap Trail Alliance, and this project revealed that there is a very significant opportunity to develop a world-class destination trail. This session will provide a preliminary look into the potential of this trail system and will provide an opportunity for community input.
• South Shuswap Transportation Society: This recently formed non-profit organization is busy developing its plans and obtaining grant funding sufficient to support the operations of a door-to-door volunteer-based transportation service for the residents of the South Shuswap. Plans for this new service will be discussed and community inputs will be gathered.
-Forest Fires and Your Safety: Forest fires have the potential to destroy and devastate communities. There are programs available to significantly reduce the risk of damages from forest fires to your home and property. This session will provide participants with practical opportunities to decrease their fire risks.
There will be many opportunities to discuss additional topics at various town hall sessions going forward. I would greatly appreciate hearing from you as to what topics you would like to have addressed. Please drop me an email at pdemenok@csrd.bc.ca to outline your ideas.
-Paul Demenok is the Area C Director for the Columbia Shuswap Regional District