Several items of note were discussed and deliberated upon during the regular Village of Canal Flats council meeting at the Columbia Discovery Centre on Monday, January 26th, including a potential branding plan presented by Tracy Connery and Karen Nickurack with Upended Creative and Arnica Consulting.

The Canal Flats Community Group and Youth Group petitioned council, seeking potential funding for multiple adjustments to the current recreation facility. Among the desired adjustments noted were a pump track, an outdoor gazebo, and a 375-foot reduction of the baseball field. Council moved to support the petition and called for a more detailed and specific master plan moving forward.

Unfinished Business Report

Councillor Marcil announced that drawings for the renovation of Tilley Memorial Park had been completed.

Correspondence

Council passed a motion to receive the WildSafeBC 2015 program, which stipulates the Village would add 420 hours at $14 an hour (totalling $5,880 in service) to an existing $2,500 plan to prevent instances of conflict involving animal encounters.

Consideration was given to palliative care in Canal Flats and the designation of further supports and volunteers in the community. Council deliberated on the importance of the upcoming presentation by Maria Kliavkoff from the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley to help negotiate future fundraising efforts and volunteer retention strategies. Currently, there is no hospice facility in the Flats and the community utilizes home care support.

Councillor Marcil went over the RDEK Recreation Budget at length, discussing reasonable budgeting strategies, including renegotiating a suggestion from the architect to build four dressing rooms at a cost of $480,000 in the Canal Flats Arena. Councillor Marcil referred to it as a numbers game and suggested that two dressing rooms could be built at half the cost.

Realities of Columbia Valley Transit were brought to light as adjustments to transit protocol were discussed, including informing the public that they can call ahead and ask to be picked up. At this point, regional bus schedule times have not been updated.

Committee appointments were ratified by council, including the confirmation of representatives and alternates for all the liaison appointments pertaining to the Columbia Valley Transit RDEK Advisory; Ktunaxa Kinbasket Treaty Advisory; the Columbia River Greenways Alliance; the Upper Columbia Valley Community Forest Society; Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners; ORV Coalition; Rocky Mountain Sheep Trench Society; Backcountry Access Committee; Wellhead Protection; Gypsum Mine Environmental Review; 20 Year Capital Plan; Merged Water System Upgrade; Public Works Building Committee; Fire Department Committee and the Economic Development Advisory.

The motion was carried to hold more discussion at the next council meeting regarding the petition by the Headwaters Art Society to complete a mural in council chambers at the Columbia Discovery Centre.