To the residents,

I am very proud to be the Mayor of Canal Flats.

Over the last few days there have been a number of posts on Facebook with regards to a group “Citizens of Canal Flats for Transparency”.

Note that Council values feedback. I feel that we have been as transparent as possible about decisions that have been made but as always there is room for improvement. During the by-election campaign process and also with engaging active groups we must comply with legislation and be thoughtful in our responses.

So let’s talk about housing, medical, water and our CAO.

Of all the projects being developed, the one that I am most excited about, is the attainable housing and childcare project. Simply a revitalization of Canal Flats downtown and a mechanism to support our seniors and residents in need of housing.

Housing and Childcare

Our CAO was tasked in the last 24 months with completing construction of a failing childcare construction project and turning it around into a fully operational childcare centre. During this time council was presented with a sustainability plan that included the formation and combination of housing and childcare. The decision to support standing up the society and investing in enabling housing is a Canada recognized best practice.

The Village will realize taxes from this entire new development. In fact, the fees alone that the Village has already realized from the permit process are nearly double of our yearly budget. I must be clear that decisions of the housing society are those of the housing society and its board of directors. Our agreement with them has been public and reviewed by our legal counsel and includes key elements that ensure sustainability. We believe the plan outlined by the society to expand beyond canal flats and utilize local contractors aligns directly to what we need in Canal Flats.

Medical

Unfortunately, the investment into a medical clinic at the Village main office was confirmed to have never had an agreement with interior health. Our CAO acting as CTO has been working to change this. He has engaged with multiple parties for over one year. An endeavour that very few people can achieve. The key driver for this has been to attract a medical doctor and medical technology companies to Canal Flats. I personally sit on the health consortium and feel this is a major opportunity. A local entrepreneur has also been involved and has invested significant time, money and effort. Although much of the commercial elements remain confidential to council, we look forward to receiving a proposal in the coming months for the further support. The Village has no legal or binding obligations.

Water

Our water system is in bad shape. Although we enjoy quality water we are not meeting our fire flow requirements and we are GARP (Groundwater at Risk of Pathogens). As such we just received a notice that we must treat our water.

Unfortunately, we have known this has been coming for years and previous council decisions have left us with very little reserves. We estimate the total investment required to upgrade our system is nearly 30 million dollars.

CAO Wayken recognized this in his first few months in the position. In discussions with Council we requested a plan that included a few key things:

1- We didn’t want to rely on grants to be sustainable
2- We wanted a system that allowed us to thrive and not just survive.
3- We wanted to establish a monetary trust that will be managed by residents
4- We wanted an organization that could enable local business so we were not losing money outside of the community where we didn’t need to.

A plan was presented to Council and we have spent nearly a year reviewing and discussing. In the end we landed on allowing the CAO to be a director of a new corporation that we envisioned would be partly owned by Canal Flats. The new corporation would need to present terms and work with the Village council and the province. The new company would require other investors that would bring in the 30 million dollars needed to upgrade our system.

At this time, we have no legal obligations or commitments. We simply have a desire to establish an organization that will help us flourish. Our CAO is just now starting to engage the province as we require provincial approval to make this happen. We also need draft terms to present to the province.

Our CAO

Family and friends is where we turn when in trouble. In the first few months of being our CAO, Richard realized the Village was in trouble. With much ahead of Canal Flats our CAO tapped his son on the shoulder to not only commit to coming to Canal Flats but investing in its future.

It is important to emphasize the value of embracing and supporting our young entrepreneurs. These individuals are the future of Canal Flats, bringing fresh ideas, energy, and a commitment to community growth. One such entrepreneur, who has recently been the target, has shown nothing but integrity and perseverance in his efforts to enhance the well-being of our village. I, along with other members of the council, have personally met with him on multiple occasions. His dedication to attracting a medical doctor, medical technology companies and a pharmacy to our community is a testament to his commitment to improving the quality of life for all our residents. His direct efforts have led to multiple investments in our community.

Our Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Wayken, has consistently acted in the best interests of our community under the direction of council. The attempts to cast doubt on his character and the character of others involved in community initiatives are deeply disappointing.

Let us be clear. Our strategy and partnership with the Housing Society is recognized nationally by CMHC as best practice. Without Mr. Wayken, Housing would not be moving forward in the community. Let us be clear, without Mr. Wayken our daycare would undoubtably be closed.

Council is supportive of all staff whether it be administration, public works or recreation. They are trained professionals who work hard at keeping the town running. Verbal abuse and mistreatment of staff is never appropriate.

We urge all members of our community to engage in respectful, informed, and constructive dialogue as we approach the by-election. We have many challenges in front of us. Let us all remember that our collective goal is to build a stronger, more vibrant Canal Flats. It is through mutual respect, cooperation, and a shared commitment to our community’s well-being that we will achieve this goal.

Sincerely,

Mayor Mark Doherty
Councillor Justin Stanbury
Councillor Patricia Reed