Nakusp council, June 10: Rail society proposes replica CPR building

The Nakusp Rail Society wants to build a replica CPR station, to be located at the heritage rail display at the far west end of the community park, in a portion of the parking lot. Tracy Fetters, chair of the society, presented the proposal to council.

The two-storey, approximately 1,200-square-foot building would be modelled after the original that used to greet paddlewheeler passengers upon arrival in Nakusp. Town Architecture Inc. is on board with the project, said Fetters, along with a few funders.

“We have been able to get the original plans,” she said. “Of course, those are not up to today’s standards, but we would build beyond today’s standards by using renewable resources and green energy.”

As per the arrangement between the Village and society for the existing items at the rail site, the replica station would be owned by the Village, with the society responsible for maintenance and other costs. The society would fund the project through grants and fundraising.

Fetters spoke about the potential benefits and uses of the building: storage and display of the society’s historic artifacts, book collection, and archival documents; a welcome and business centre for the society; a new home for the Chamber of Commerce office, Visitor Centre, and/or campground office; meeting room(s) available for booking; and a public washroom open year-round.

The Nakusp Rail Society is a volunteer group, formed in 2016 when CP Rail donated a 1977 caboose, 1913 Jordan Spreader, and 1921 snowplow to the Village. Since then, NRS has stewarded the train cars, securing over $100,000 in grant funding and tens of thousands of dollars from collecting bottle returns. Also on display at the rail site is the Brouse Station building, donated by the Krivsky and Christie families and restored by NRS.

Arrow Reservoir levels

Water levels on the Arrow Lakes Reservoir are expected to be quite low again this summer. BC Hydro’s Darren Sherbot, Manager of System Optimization, made a presentation to council about the forecasted water levels.

The swimming area is expected to be usable only until mid-July, and the floating dock in the swimming area only until the end of June. The boat ramp should remain usable for the rest of the year, he said.

“Although we are not regulated to meet recreation levels on the reservoir, as part of the Columbia River Water Use Plan, there are target reservoir levels for recreation between 437.4 and 438.9 metres (1,435 and 1,440 feet) from May 24 to September 30,” Sherbot said. He acknowledged that these target levels will likely not be met this year.

The reservoir is expected to peak at the end of June, at 1,432.3 feet (436.6 metres) and draft to about 1,415 feet by the end of August. Sherbot said the swimming area is usable up to 1,427.1 feet (435 metres) and the dock up to 1430 feet (436 metres), according to information from the Village. The Nakusp boat ramp is operational to 1,382.87 feet (421.5 metres).

The Columbia system is highly dependent on how much snow the region gets, with almost 70% of inflow in an average year coming from snowpack, said Sherbot. Like last year, the snowpack in the Upper Columbia and East and West Kootenays is well below average.

As well, 63% of BC is in Drought Level 2 or higher, with the Columbia Basin at Level 2. If dry conditions persist in the Basin in Canada or the US, Arrow Lakes Reservoir could reach levels in August like those in 2023, he said. Columbia River Treaty requires discharges to continue during the drought.

“We understand the impacts to industry, recreation, First Nations, and public perception about how the reservoir is managed,” he said. “Where we have flexibility – and it’s limited – we do what we can to prop up and consider Arrow levels.”

Sherbot said some flexibility comes from balancing the Peace and Columbia systems.

“When one area is not in drought and the other one is, we can balance between the two basins. But when both are in drought, it gives us less flexibility,” he said.

BC Hydro imported about a fifth of its generation last year to meet needs and help with this balance, but winter loads broke the previous year’s record by about 400 megawatts, akin to the power generated from the Revelstoke unit, said Sherbot.

Active Transportation Plan presented

Patricia Dehnel and Jess McQuair presented the Village of Nakusp Active Transportation Plan (NATP), created by the Nakusp and Area Bike Society (NABS).

“We would like for council to acknowledge [the NATP] so that it can become a guide to promote, develop, and implement active transportation options for the residents and visitors of Nakusp and area,” said Dehnel.

Dehnel is the planner for the project. Adam Balls was the project manager for most of development, though he is no longer on the team. Solita Work is the designer, and McQuair is the team’s administrative assistant.

In 2022, the team was tasked with preparing an active transportation plan through an Infrastructure Canada grant, with support from the Village.

NABS did public engagement through surveys, outreach, and a mapping exercise, and developed the plan using the feedback.

Key feedback included a desire for improved access and connection to the waterfront for all ages and abilities; routes to the rail trail, Mt. Abriel, hot springs, and other areas around Nakusp; safety infrastructure like sidewalks and streetlights; and an active transportation link in the Government Hill Road/2nd Street NE area.

The plan includes seven recommendations and a map showing the recommended improvements.

NABS is a volunteer mountain bike advocacy group. It works with public and private landowners to advocate for trail access and development for non-motorized use.

Leases for Village property

Staff is seeking direction from council for creating a policy on how lease agreements are made and renewed, said CAO Wayne Robinson. Currently, all 23 contracts are different, which means everyone is being treated differently.

“A policy document is going to help us deal with leases, going forward, in an equitable and fair manner – for all renters of space in the Village,” said Robinson.

The first priority council identified is asset management; Village-owned buildings and properties need to be maintained and utilities need to be paid. This money has to come from somewhere – either the leaseholders or the taxpayers.

Robinson said that while some lessees pay a due that can go towards asset management, some are paying favourable leases (less than market value), or no lease at all. Some with favourable leases are doing capital improvements, while others are not.

“It’s kind of all over the map,” he said.

Councillor Aidan McLaren-Caux acknowledged that many of the leaseholders with favourable contracts are non-profits and volunteer groups.

“The municipality doesn’t provide all services to the community… and our tax rate is fairly low,” he said. “To fill in those gaps of service that [the Village] could otherwise provide with higher taxes, there are volunteer groups and enthusiastic community members that do so instead.”

With this in mind, council agreed that those seeking favourable leases need to demonstrate the gap that they fill in the community, as well as their financial need.

Councillors Tina Knooihuizen, Dolly Edwards, and McLaren-Caux emphasized that these requirements shouldn’t be too prescriptive however, considering that every organization is unique.

CAO Robinson explained that the policy could be more focused on outlining how individuals and organizations can apply for leases – favourable or otherwise – and that each would still be brought forward for council’s decision on a case-by-case basis.

To better inform these decisions, Councillor Mason Hough requested an analysis to understand what the cost burden would be on the leaseholder vs. the taxpayer vs. the Village.

UBCM meeting requests

Next up were Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meeting requests.

Every September, mayors, councillors, and administrators from across BC attend the UBCM convention. Part of the convention includes a chance to connect with government officials and staff to discuss pressing issues.

Council priorities include medical transport, security at the hospital, the airport and waterfront master plans, the Residential Tenancy Act, lack of cell phone connectivity at Shelter Bay, mental health resources, and Shelter/Galena Bay ferry reliability.

Village staff will bundle council’s requests and put it all together for review at next council meeting before submission to UBCM.

Rachael Lesosky, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Valley Voice