Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) staff are preparing the next steps to get final approval for the Church Road well field project, since consultation with the Squamish Nation concluded in late September.
At the Oct. 14 infrastructure committee meeting, general manager of infrastructure services Remko Rosenboom told the board that all of Squamish Nation’s comments and requests can be addressed and there are no outstanding concerns.
Staff and the SCRD’s consultant are finalizing the last details for the water licence, which Rosenboom said he expects will be issued by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) within the next several weeks.
Staff, he said, feel confident they can issue the tender for the construction phase of the project in the upcoming days. It is anticipated tender and procurement will take two months, with the hope of completion in December.
“If everything aligns,” construction could start in January and be completed in eight months, he added.
A financial incentive will be offered for early completion of the project.
In a letter written on behalf of Minister Katrine Conroy, Allan Johnsrude wrote: “SCRD’s Church Road water licence application is one of FLNRORD’s highest priorities while it is also one of our most complex files and we need to ensure a sustainable approach for present and future generations.”
The letter, which was attached to the meeting agenda and dated Sept. 8, states the technical assessment of the Church Road application was delayed due to the loss of data supporting the environmental flow needs (EFN) assessment.
“The Town of Gibsons … has also submitted water licence applications for the same aquifer source, and the province has been working in a collaborative manner with staff from both SCRD and Gibsons to understand and manage this important shared groundwater resource in a responsible manner,” the letter said.
The SCRD has also received confirmation from Vancouver Coastal Health that VCH will do everything in its power to support the project to get it online as soon as possible, Rosenboom said.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is ready to support expedited construction.
