Questions remain over who would own and maintain a Main Street bridge should one be constructed in Sicamous.
The question has been a public concern since spring of 2016, when it was revealed the bridge would be built in conjunction with a four-lane replacement option for the Bruhn Bridge. A second five-lane option, sans Main Street bridge, is also being considered.
For many, the question of ownership and maintenance of the Main Street bridge was put to rest following a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure-hosted open house held Thursday, on Feb. 1.
“There’s been some concerns about ownership of the Main Street Bridge and that’s something the Ministry would maintain,” Jennifer Fraser, MOTI regional manager and director for the $215 million project, explained during the afternoon open house.
An information panel on display at the open house offered a less precise statement: “Option for local government ownership of Main Street bridge asset if desired, but not required.”
Fraser also said the ministry may enter into an agreement where maintenance, such as snow clearing, is done by the municipality, to be reimbursed by the ministry.
Subsequent to the open house, MOTI posted a FAQ document on its website for the Bruhn Bridge project, which includes the following statement: “Advancement of the 4-lane option with Main Street bridge is not predicated on local government ownership of a Main Street bridge or an increase in municipal road inventory. The ministry is seeking cost share for the project with the federal government only at this time.”
All of this adds to a fait accompli for District of Sicamous town manager Evan Parliament.
“I knew about that about a month ago, but it’s been rolled out and now it’s in public domain,” said Parliament. “There are people who think that is still up for debate, and I’ve told them not only has it been concluded, the province has accepted that it’s going to be a provincial project and owned by the province.
“One of the conditions of our council supporting the Main Street bridge is that ownership and maintenance cannot fall on the local taxpayer. And that condition has been met.”
Ken Bateman doesn’t share Parliament’s confidence in the ministry. Part of this has to do with transparency.
Bateman sits on a resident and business Bruhn Bridge project liaison committee as a representative of Portside Court, a condominium complex adjacent to Main Street Landing where an on ramp to the bridge would be located. This committee, which includes MOTI representation, met the morning of Feb. 1, prior to the open house. Bateman points out ownership of the Main Street bridge was not on the agenda.
“You can imagine our surprise then on Jennifer Fraser’s statements… at the open house,” said Bateman in an email to the News.
Bateman said he asked during the Feb. 1 committee meeting who would be responsible for bridge maintenance, to which consulting facilitator Judy Kirk replied the ministry would be.
“I then asked if that included all maintenance including snow removal,” said Bateman. “Judy Kirk again replied the district would look after that and invoice MOTI for the work. Keep in mind Judy Kirk is not a MOTI employee… so I and others around the table took her replies rather skeptically on matters of policy, especially dealings on this type of issue.”
Talk on the subject continued, and Bateman said Jennifer Stites, MOTI project manager, spoke up, downplaying the issue, “saying she was not sure, and it was not a major concern at this point in time until it was known which option was chosen.”
“I would like to say I find it odd, but we are so used to only being told half-truths and having information purposely with-held that it does not surprise me anymore,” said Bateman.
MOTI had no reply as to why ownership of the Main Street bridge wasn’t confirmed at the Feb 1 committee meeting, but reiterated the position that local government ownership of a Main Street bridge, or frontage roads, is not a requirement.
“Local government would have the option of ownership if desired, but it would not be a requirement if the two-bridge option is chosen,” says MOTI.
MOTI’s deadline for public feedback on the bridge options was Feb. 18. Now, Pope said, “Along with technical, environmental and financial considerations, the ministry will consider all of the feedback from our public engagement, as well as input from the District of Sicamous, First Nations and Project Liaison Committee.
“A final bridge option will be selected this spring.”