Submitted by Bob Payette
CAO District of Barriere
Now that we are in the dog days of August, I wanted to share with you an update about our newest well and the outlook for water quality and quantity for the next few years. These past few weeks we‘ve seen the district’s water consumption increase exponentially with the hot weather and lack of rain. Barriere saw the highest daily use climb to 2000 cubic meters in one day! This amount of water consumption is significant in that it is the equivalent of every person in town using more than two cubes of water in one day, twice the amount that an entire family would use in a single average day.
This situation would not be sustainable for our water system over the long haul, so I spent some time touring the residential areas and talking to a number of people in town. Most residences are well aware of the Stage 1 water restrictions, with some, not so much.
In most of those cases, the residents I chatted with did not realize the details of our water use bylaws and the reasons behind them. You can review the details of the water use bylaw on line, or call into the district office for a schedule of watering days.
I must say that Barriere is looking amazing as we get closer to the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo taking place over the long weekend of Sept. 2 -5. The extremely busy organizing committee has indicated that this year’s event is looking very encouraging. We can anticipate a large number of visitors in town during that weekend, including possible overflow camping in the community park area.
The famous Fall Fair Parade is scheduled for Saturday morning at 11 a.m., leaving from the Airfield Road/Station Road area and will be going through town along Barriere Town Road, then up to the fairground entrance on Barriere Lakes Road. The parade take approximately one hour in length, please keep in mind that we will be blocking off the main street during that time for the parade.
Parks and Roads staff have been busy with the beautifying of areas along Barriere Town Road, community parks, and revamping the welcome triangle with new turf and a new ‘Welcome’ sign. If you have any thoughts for the new landscaping of the triangle please let district staff know, they have some great ideas and would welcome your thoughts. Please keep in mind there are many constraints about what can and cannot be facilitated in that location due to vehicular visibility regulations as well as ongoing maintenance requirements. You can email comments to the district at: inquiry@barriere.ca
A big ‘thank-you’ goes out to the property owners along the Highway 5 corridor for mowing and cutting their frontage. This is spectacular during the summer and looks great to incoming visitors to our community arriving for the Fall Fair and Rodeo.
Unfortunately, we have been experiencing a number of instances of graffiti and vandalism on public property, as well as some mischievous behavior in the parks this summer. This has resulted in a strain on staff resources and budgets which could be avoided. The RCMP continue to investigate these occurrences and have increased evening patrols in the area.
Council and staff have been working on a long-term downtown area land use concept plan that include the future use of our available lands. A portion of this planning process is to get your feedback on the plans so watch for information on that in the coming months.
This summer has been unfortunately busy for our Fire Department and first responders. Please take some time to thank our volunteers.
At our most recent council meeting, council approved a new school speed zone at the high school. This area is now an official ‘School Zone’ with a maximum speed limit of 30km per hour. Appropriate speed signs will be installed in the next few weeks, and enforced during school hours as indicated on the signage.
Barriere Elementary School will see an additional crosswalk with visible signage as well. With the return to school, please take extra care while driving to ensure the safety of our community’s kids. Parents, please also have an important conversation about being vehicle aware and how to use designated crosswalks appropriately.
Finally, this is a reminder that Oct. 15, 2022, is General Election Day. For information on how to become a candidate, how to vote and all other local election information including Advanced Voting Opportunities, please visit the district’s website at: www.barriere.ca and click on the ‘Local Election 2022’ button on the green ribbon at the bottom of the page.
_______________
Like us on Facebook
