The District of Hope council found their time occupied once more by a variety of agenda items during Tuesday night’s (Nov. 12) council meeting.
Mayor Victor Smith, and councillors Zachary Wells, Angela Skoglund, Scott Medlock, Pauline Newbigging, and Heather Stewin, were all in attendance and listened as they were updated about Enbridge’s Sunrise Expansion Project, said no to expanding the water system at East Kawkawa Lake and Summer Road, and endorsed a new member to the AdvantageHOPE Board.
Enbridge Sunrise Expansion Project:
Council listened to an update from Enbridge, a multinational pipeline and energy company that has an office in Hope, about its Sunrise Expansion Project.
The Sunrise project is a “proposed expansion of the southern portion of the westcoast or B.C. pipeline system known as “T-South.” The project would add “42-inch diameter pipeline looping and additional compression to provide approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of additional natural gas.”
For Hope, additional compression or new compressor units would be added to station CS-8B, in Othello. After speaking with Indigenous communities, landowners, and other stakeholders, Enbridge said it will be looking into alternative routes for the powerline, which would be providing power to the new electric drive compressor at the Othello station. The company is also looking into installing a gas turbine powered compression, which would eliminate the need for a powerline infrastructure.
According to Enbridge, last year they paid more than “$1.6 million to the District of Hope in the 2023 tax season.” And, last year, they contributed or donated $55,000 locally to Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue, Chawathil First Nation’s Indigenous Day Celebration and Community Walking Path, and the Hope Shred-It Day.
For more information about the project, readers can visit www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/projects/sunrise-expansion-program .
Summer Road private water system:
Council agreed with district staff about not considering to expand the East Kawkawa and Summer Road water system until the “connection between Zone 138 and the East Kawkawa Lake zone is completed. And that any further extension is to include all unserviced areas in East Kawkawa Lake.”
AdvantageHOPE Board:
Council voted in favour of endorsing Katina Vatcher to the AdvantageHOPE Board.
The next council meeting is Nov. 25 at 7 p.m.
