December
• Sicamous council is calling for immediate action in replacing the deteriorating Bruhn Bridge. After years of ongoing delays on the project, the government announced another in a letter to council that it wouldn’t go out to tender until early 2024. Mayor Colleen Anderson finds that unacceptable. “This has already been on our plate since 2014, and the bridge is now a safety issue. It is rebar and concrete falling off the bottom,” she said at the Nov. 22 council meeting. “It’s our major transport route through Canada. It’s not the Bruhn Bridge, it’s the Trans Canada Highway.”
• The District of Sicamous has filed a lawsuit against the company responsible for the “deficient and unfinished work” on the Solsqua-Sicamous Bridge replacement. On Nov. 20, the district registered a civil claim against the Western Surety Company regarding the performance bond it held for Vic Van Isle Construction (VVI) for the replacement bridge project. A performance bond is a three-party arrangement that is in place to guarantee the completion of contractual obligations for the project owner. The district alleges that VVI did not fulfill the bond to satisfaction. As a result of alleged “unfinished work,” the district is petitioning to have Western Surety pay the amount owing under the bond, perform its obligations, pay damages for breach, court ordered interest, costs and “such other relief as may seem just.”
• The District of Sicamous is exploring a FoodCycler pilot program pending community interest. The organization Food Cycle Science pitched the program to council, explaining that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions and food waste in landfills by converting it to a nutrient-rich by-product that is basically soil. Chief financial officer Bianca Colonna explained that it’s a composting unit people can have in their kitchens. The program would be 100 per cent grant funded, with the district getting approximately $60,000 each year from the Local Government Climate Action Incentive Program for green initiatives. For the 100-household pilot program, the district would order 50 of the smaller units, and 5o of the larger ones, for a total cost of $33,900. They would subsidize the cost to residents at $100, regardless of the unit size, with participants then paying $150 to $300 depending on which they choose as the best choice for their household needs.