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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Issues worth discussing about Christina Lake

Various issues and challenges Area C (Christina Lake) faces as a community

Over the past few weeks we have had a lot of emails and letters in Area C (Christina Lake) regarding the challenges we face as a community.

I thought it might be worthwhile to try and capture all of the ideas and present one response.

The Kettle River Watershed Study

There is a misconception that the study is being funded through Area C regional district taxation.

The Kettle River Study is not paid for by your tax dollars, Area C has contributed $20,000 to the over $220,000 project and those funds were from the gas tax monies provided by the federal government.

It should be noted that electoral Areas D and E have contributed over $100,000 of gas tax monies allocated to their areas to this very worthwhile project.

This study will help our community plan for and react to flooding as well as identify how local aquifers interact with the Kettle River.

Cash cows?

There has been an allegation that lakeshore property owners are being looked at as “cash cows” because of the large assessments (based on market sales) those properties are attracting.

It is true that much of our taxation is a property value tax, and that is a result of the systems that are in place.

What IS wrong is to assume that the only valuable properties are on the lake shore. The fact is that there are many properties off the lakeshore that have significant assessment values.

It is also wrong that the regional district, or the community, is looking at ideas with the specific goal of getting one particular set of property owners to pay.

We are looking at ideas that we hope are right for our entire community from Christina Lake to the Area C Boundary of the Regional District.

Public Consultation

There has been a great deal of concern raised as to the timing of the consultation that we do for various issues that may impact the residents and property owners of Christina Lake.

Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that we are ever going to arrive at a method that is going to give everybody an opportunity to appear at a meeting.

If we hold the meeting in May, summer residents are upset. If we have a session in the summer it can be difficult to get the required consultants or staff to attend as they are planning their summer holidays.

We try our best to use a variety of communication methods but none are going to be perfect. The papers, the Internet, Facebook, the Christina Lake Stewardship Society are all things we utilize and will continue to do so.

It should be noted that in election years, referendums will generally be held in conjunction with the local elections. This is done to defray costs and to limit the impact on any new service created. For an investment of $50 or $60 yearly anyone can subscribe to a local paper.

A divided community?

Recently, some have asserted that there is some sort of rift or divide between the people that live in the community year-round and those that are in the community only seasonally.

There is only one community and needs, aspirations and interests of both need to be considered and sometimes, the two have a different opinion.

Be assured, that I, as Electoral Area C director, understand the views of both, will listen to both, and then fight for what I think is right. That is the challenge in a community like Christina Lake, finding the right balance.

The Stewardship is the overseeing of the Milfoil Program?

NOT true.

Milfoil is a regional district service and will remain so until you the taxpayers decide otherwise.

The stewardship society has done enormous amounts of research work around the issue for years as has the regional district we continue to dialogue with each other to find the best possible solutions.

The partnership with UBC also produced a very good document and it was through this program that the Milfoil Weevil was found and documented.

Although this is not an in-depth response it may at least put to rest some of the misconceptions and non-fact based information currently circulating.

–Grace McGregor is the RDKB director of Area C