By Cheryl Jahn

Stormy times ahead for infrastructure

Apr 5, 2021 | 12:49 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Most people roll their eyes and yawn when the issue of stormwater system comes up.. It isn’t a “sexy” subject, but it is topical when there is a massive sinkhole at the bottom of Carney at Winnipeg Street, or drivers are slogging through two feet of water on Victoria Street.

Those are just a couple of examples of what happens when the storm system fails.

“We actually have quite a lot of watersheds around the city that don’t have a plan associated with [storm drainage] yet. We hope to develop those over the next while,” explains Kristy Bobbie, the City’s Asset Manager. Her department is working on putting together a City-wide, integrated plan to better deal with stormwater.

But it’s not cheap.

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In a recent update to Council, she cited $30 million at the low end of the cost scale to $125 million at the high end.

Years ago, the City had tried to create a dedicated reserve fund for stormwater as there is for water, sewer and roads, but there was no public appetite for it.

As the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Garth Frizzell knows Prince George is competing with a number of other communities for finite dollars to help with issues like this.

“Now, we’re responsible for 60 per cent of the infrastructure costs. No, property taxation doesn’t cover it.”

City Council will hear back about the financial implications at another meeting in May or June.

by Cheryl Jahn

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Stormy times ahead for infrastructure

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