Another intake of funding requests from the Flood Protection Program has been announced by the provincial government and the City of Kimberley is ready and eager to re-apply for funding for the Mark Creek Flume project.
Mayor, Council and staff were very disappointed to learn earlier this year that their application for funding for the $4 million plus project had been denied.
The Mark Creek flume has reached the end of its useful life and is in danger of failure. The first third of the project — from the east end of the flume to just before BJ’s Restaurant on Wallinger — has been completed. The first third included the somewhat controversial removal of the St. Mary Avenue bridge, which will be replaced with a footbridge.
A referendum had given the City permission to go ahead with the entire project on their own if upper level funding did not come through, but Mayor Ron McRae says Council doesn’t believe it would be prudent to proceed without assistance.
“The second phase will more than likely have to wait for a funding announcement,” McRae said. “We don’t believe it’s prudent to proceed until funding is secured.”
McRae said it’s a matter of everyone — the feds, province and the municipality paying their fair share.
The City’s application will be ready to go out this Friday and Chief Financial Officer Holly Ronnquist says this is only the first round in the intake, more of a questionnaire on the project than an application itself. If the project passes the first phase, a more detailed application follows. She said the City should hear by the end of June or beginning of July on whether or not it has been successful on the first round.