Page A4

The Castlegar Sun

Wednesday, August 23, 1995 |

New life ahead for island
suspension bridge?

DEREK ZEISMAN
Sun Editor

The suspense surrounding the
Zuckerberg Island suspension
bridge may soon be over

City administrator Jim
Gustafson says he has just
received a copy of the engineer's
report into the feasibility of sav-
ing the decrepit but much-loved
Structure. And the results seem
cautiously optimistic

“It was presented at the city
council meeting [on Aug. 15],”
said Gustafson. “We've talked to
the engineers who did up the
report, and they'll be responding
to any questions or concerns the
public might have about its con-
tents.”

The three-page report will be
submitted for public input once
city council has had a chance to
examine its contents.

The report describes the aging
bridge's structural integrity as
satisfactory, though in need of
major repairs to its decking and
some cabling

“We can certainly rebuild it
It's not like it has to be torn
down,” said Gustafson.

He said the report is recom-
mending that the suspension
bridge be closed in the winter,
have snow accumulation
exceeding two feet removed
from its decking inthe winter,
and have a maximum capacity
of 15 people at a time, following
the completion of all repairs to
the structure

But he said there is currently
no exact dollar figure available
for how much all those repairs

may end up costing

“The engineer's report didn't
include a actual dollar estimate
But we're going to want a ball-
park figure for budget purposes.”

The city administrator added
that he probably won't be able to
provide any figures to city coun-
cil until early September.

“The engineer is now on holi-
days, and his assistant is reluctant
to provide us with any figures.
But we're going to have to give
council some kind of idea before
they can seriously consider the
repair proposal.”

Although repairing the
Zuckerberg Island suspension
bridge is technically a mainte-
nance item, Gustafson said the
large cost of such a job means the
project will probably fall under
Castlegar’s multi-million dollar
capital works budget

“When you get into the tens of
thousands of dollars on a project,
you're talking about makin,
more than a few minor repairs,”
said Gustafson

“We're not going to be able to
do it for $10,000 or $20,000. But
whether we're talking about 30,
40 or $50,000, I'm not sure.”

Deb Mcintosh, coordinator of
the Castlegar and District Her-
itage Society which oversees
Zuckerberg Park, said she was
unaware of the latest develop-
ments surrounding the suspen-
sion bridge

“I've heard nothing about it,
said McIntosh. “They had an
engineer out here to look at the
bridge a while back, but the city
hasn't responded to any of my
inquiries.”

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located beside his hay stacks, landed and cau
visitor in a neighbor's home who then alerted the Pass
ford (left) and his crew arrived on the scene, three resi
garden hoses. The firefighters tore the pile apart, extingui:

iden

SUN STAFF PHOTO /Marityn Str

Up in smoke: Brilliant resident George Koochin will be looking for new hay after a spark from a burn barrel,
ght fire Thursday. The billowing smoke attracted the attention of a
Creek Fire Department. When deputy fire chief Jim Craw-
its were already on the scene hosing down the pile with
ished the flames and ensured a sprinkler was left on.

Pass Creek fire hall slated for repairs

DEREK ZEISMAN |
Sun Editor

Fifteen years after it was first
constructed, the Pass Creek Vol-
unteer Fire Department is finally

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Fire chief Brian Bebelman
says all of the necessary munici-
pal permits and variances for the
renovation project have now been
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struction to begin over coming
few weeks.

“We're now ready to go ahead.
We're quite happy about it,” said
Bebelman.

“The changes are going to give
us more room — lots more room.”

Proposed changes to the
building include the addition of
an additional bay to house the
fire departments new detach-
able mini pump, the construc-
tion of a new mezzanine floor
area to Create more storage
space, and miscellaneous finish-
€s to a structure that was never
quite completed when it was
first built — including extra

insulation, drywalling, and new
siding.

“I wouldn't say the building's
falling apart, but nothing major
has been done to it since it was
first built.”

Bebelman said fire depart-
ment volunteers have known for
some time that they needed to
make substantial changes to the
building, but they just had to
figure out how to pay for the
alterations

“We thought we'd put it intq
our budget over a number of
years. but thea [Rossland-Trail
MLA] Ed Conroy actually
approached us and helped us
secure a BC 21 grant.”

The grant, provided under the
Provincial government's infras-
tructure works branch, totalled
about $26,000. It was handed
over to the department in June —+

but the local permits and
approvals were a little slower in
coming.

“Everyone was very coopera~
tive, but it’s just the process you
have to take,” said Bebelman
“You have to take all the politics
of it in stride.”

To keep renovation costs to a
minimum, Bebelman pointed out
that almost all the project work-
ers will be contributing their
efforts on a volunteer basis.

“About 75 per cent of the
work will.be performed by the
firemen, with the rest done by
local Pass Creek sub-contractors.
We've got some very talented
people in this community —
everyone deserves a really big
thanks.”

Bebelman said the renovations
are scheduled to be completed by
late September or early October.

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Wednesday, August 23, 1995

The Castlegar Sun

Columbia Trust office opens

DEREK ZEISMAN
Sun Editor

A new public office opened its
doors in Castlegar last Wednesday
evening, dedicated to making the
Columbia Basin Trust and the
area's hydro-electric projects more
accessible to local residents,

The Columbia Power Projects
Information Office threw open its
doors to more than 20 local and
out-of-town officials, as a recep-
tion was held to

hand at the opening, which
included a visit and congratulato-
ry speech by Josh Smienk, chair
of the Columbia Basin Trust
“Thirty years ago when the

Hugh Keenleyside dam was built,’

there was no public comment
requested. That was a mistake.”
“It's important to. take things to
the public today — that’s why
we're here, starting now.”
Smienk commended the effort
that went into the opening of the
f ioned to

office — di

the grand opening of “what will
be a very successful facility,” said
Wally Penner, director of com-
munity relations for the
Columbia Basin Power Project.
“It's already a great-looking
space, and we just got the lease
signed a week ago,” said Penner,
who will operate the office — locat-

Local officials including
Mayor Mike O'Connor, Koote-
nay West MP Jim Gouk and Al
Geissler of B.C. Hydro were on

Open houses at the end of
August will seek public input into
the proposed new powerplant
development at the Hugh Keen-
leyside Dam, located upstream
from Castlegar.

The project involves construc-
tion of a new powerhouse at the
existing dam, as well as a 49 km
transmission line to the Selkirk
power substation, located six km
south of Fruitvale.

The open houses, slated for
Aug. 28 in Castlegar, Aug. 29 in
Trail and Aug. 30 in Nelson, “con-
tinue consultations on the Keenley-
side project that have been
underway since the 1970s,” said
Wally Penner, manager of commu-
nity relations for the new Columbia
Basin Power Projects Information
Office, based in Castlegar.

Public input will be incorpo-
rated into the review of the pro-
ject by the B.C. Environmental
Assessment Office (EAO).

The EAO has set Sept. 6 as the
deadline for receipt of public
comments concerning the project

Keenleyside is one of three
power generating projects pro-
posed in a joint venture between
the regionally-based Columbia
Basin Trust and the province's
Columbia Power Corp. Also pro-
posed are expansions of power
stations at the Waneta and Bril-
liant dams.

“If they're approved, the pro-
jects will create more than 4,400
person-years of-employment overt
the next 10 years within the
region,” said Penner.

“The first consideration for
these new jobs will be given to
qualified local residents.”

The projects will be undertak-
en in accordance with the
Columbia Basin Accord between
the province and the Columbia
River Treaty Committee

COMING
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Castlegar & District

UNITED WAY
KICK
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Castlegar Chamber of Commerce
Supports The United Way

provide a focal point for local
to exchange inf
and views in the impl

what we can do to inform people
of what the Trust is going\to be up
to in the months and years ahead.”

Ed Pietraszek, corporate secre-
tary with the Columbia Power
Corp., whith is operating the info
office in conjunction with the
Trust, said he welcomed the joint
venture and is hoping to do “a
whole bunch” of projects with-the
Trust in the near future.

The two organizations are
forming a joint venture to devel-
Op major power generation pro-
jects, including the construction
or expansion of facilities at the

of upcoming power projects, par-
ticularly the upcoming installa-
tion of power generators at Hugh
Keenleyside Dam.

He promised that recent diffi-
culties in securing an agreement
on downstream power benefits
from the Americans would not
put a damper on the activities of
either the office or the Columbia
Basin Trust itself.

“We're here to listen and see

will be hosted by the Columbia
Basin Power Projects Information
Office. The first, planned for
Castlegar Aug. 28, will be held at
the office’s headquarters at 1125
4th St. The second will be held
Aug. 29 in the Trail Memorial
Centre's McIntyre Room; the

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Keenleyside,\Brilliant and Wane-
ta dams over the next 10 years.

The projects are part of a bil-
lion-dollar provincial energy and
economic development p:ogram
designed to provide direct long-
term benefits to the Columbia-
Kootenay region.

“We have a signed agreement
between ourselves — now let's
get to work on it,” said Pietraszek.
“I'm very excited with the oppor-
tunity to work with you.”

third Aug. 30 at the Nelson
Municipal Library.

“Talk to people and get them to
come out,” advised Penner. “The
more people we have at those
information sessions, the better.”

Anyone interested in partici-
Pating in an open house can con-
tact the info office at 365-3189.

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Castlegar Mayor Mike O'Connor (Icit) and Al Geissler of B.C. Hydro took time to dis-
cuss the future of Hugh Keenleyside Dam at last Wednesday’s opening of the
Columbia Power Projects Information Office on 4th St. SUN STAFF PHOTO Derek Zeieman

— 7
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