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Lake Country celebrates completion of three projects

Bus tour starts at Beasley Park and Ride, checks out Bottom Wood Lake Road and the district's wastewater treatment plant
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Lake Country mayor James Baker

Government officials gathered Wednesday with local residents to celebrate the completion of three major infrastructure projects that will contribute to improving the quality of life in the District of Lake Country.

First, renovations to Lake Country’s wastewater treatment facility are now complete. Upgrades included integrating more energy-efficient and green technology to increase the plant’s capacity to meet current and future needs of the community, as well as to protect the local aquatic ecosystem. This project was made possible thanks to $4.1 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund.

In addition, upgrades were made to the Beasley Park parking lot. Thanks to an extensive makeover, including new paving, landscaping, lighting and signage, the upgraded parking lot at Beasley Park will function as a transit park and ride facility. Funding for this just over $1 million project came from various sources, including $459,000 from the federal Gas Tax Fund, $336,000 from BC Transit and $266,000 from the District of Lake Country.

Lastly, the project to restore Bottom Wood Lake Road and upgrade local active transportation networks will help improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, transit and vehicle traffic. Increasing accessibility for all users in Lake Country and connecting neighbourhoods to schools were also key features of the project. Completing this project allows the District to meet objectives of its local Transportation for Tomorrow program. Funding for this project was provided by various sources, including $207,000 from the federal Gas Tax Fund, $52,700 from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) for safety improvements, and $604,000 from the District of Lake Country. The total cost of the project is $863,700.

Quick Facts

•    The Government of Canada provides $253,276,892 in annual funding for municipal infrastructure in British Columbia through the federal Gas Tax Fund.

•    The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Gas Tax Fund in BC, in collaboration with Canada and British Columbia.

•    Since 2006, the District of Lake Country has received $7,993,197 under the federal Gas Tax Fund.

Quotes:

Ron Cannan - Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country:

“Our Government is pleased to have provided funding to these three significant projects in the District of Lake Country, which will contribute to maintaining the quality of life of local residents. Through our $53-billion New Building Canada Plan, we continue to support infrastructure projects of national, regional and local significance.”

Norm Letnick - MLA Kelowna-Lake Country

“These three projects totalling more than $6 million significantly enhance our community’s sustainability and good health. It has been a real pleasure seeing our residents benefit from the convenience of the park and ride, the pathways and bike lines connecting neighbourhoods and schools around Bottom Wood Lake Road and knowing that the upgraded wastewater treatment plant will take us well into the future. I applaud our partners, the Federal Government and the District of Lake Country and Regional District of Central Okanagan for their commitment to these projects.”

James Baker - Lake Country Mayor

“Each of these three infrastructure projects demonstrate the importance of federal and provincial government leadership and support through the UBCM, and highlight what can be done by solidifying partnerships that focus on public safety, health and environmental protection. These infrastructure improvements make Lake Country a safer and sustainable community; and we appreciate the hard work of staff and contractors to get them done on time and on budget.”

Sav Dhaliwal - UBCM President

“Healthy, well-designed communities require continuous capital investment to provide the level of service expected by our citizens. These projects demonstrate how the federal Gas Tax Fund is supporting priorities identified by the District of Lake Country to improve and expand local facilities.”