Council Highlights August 21 2023

From the meeting held on August 21, 2023.

Mayor’s Update

Mayor Pranger congratulated Project A.I.M. on their successful fundraiser on July 22^nd, where they raised almost $20,000 towards their goal of providing barrier-free access to menstrual and incontinence products. If you would like to donate or volunteer for Project A.I.M., you can find more information on their website: www.projectaimcommunity.com

On July 23^rd, Mayor Pranger attended the Agassiz Harrison Community Services Society’s (AHCSS) volunteer appreciation luncheon. She thanked AHCSS for the programs and services they provide to our community and gave a heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who ensure that these programs continue.

Mayor Pranger also congratulated the Agassiz Lion’s Club on another successful Car Show, which saw a record number of vehicles.

On July 26^th, Mayor Pranger was the guest reader for Story Time in the Park, held in Pioneer Park and hosted by the Fraser Valley Regional Library. The program encourages literacy for people of all ages and brings families and community members together with the joy of reading. If you would like to attend an upcoming story time, please visit https://fvrl.bibliocommons.com/events/6470eef764c37d340086607c for the schedule/locations.

Mayor and Council also thanked the Agassiz Fire Department for accepting the deployment request from the BC Wildfire Service and sending members to Kelowna to assist with the wildfire situation in that region.

Enbridge Overview and Project Plans within British Columbia

Mr. Aaron Letendre and Ms. Rikki Beaudet from Enbridge Inc. virtually attended the Council meeting to provide an overview of the company and to present plans for the Sunrise Expansion Program. The proposed project is an expansion of the southern portion of the West Coast BC Pipeline System and is being driven by the demand for increased natural gas capacity in BC and the Pacific Northwest. It would include the construction of 42” diameter pipeline looping and additional or upgraded compression stations, to provide approximately 300 million cubic feet per day of additional natural gas transportation on the system. The target service date for this project is in late 2028 and must be approved by the Canada Energy Regulator (Federal agency).

The proposed system upgrades would span north/south from Chetwynd to the Huntingdon/Sumas border and would add approximately 190 total kilometres of 12 smaller pipeline sections along the route. Locally, a pipeline loop would start at the Rosedale compressor station and run northwards, terminating at the base of the mountain on the north side of Seabird Island. Enbridge confirmed that the project would require the permanent widening of current right-of-ways from 18 meters to 36 meters and would result in an increase in municipal taxes collected from Enbridge.

Enbridge hosted an in-person information session in Agassiz on May 24, 2023, and currently has a virtual open house where people can submit questions or concerns directly to the company (https://sunrise-program.com/). Ms. Beaudet and Mr. Letendre are also expected to host an Enbridge Inc. booth at the Agassiz Fall Fair in September for further public engagement.

You can find more information about the project on the Enbridge website: https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/projects/sunrise-expansion-program

Enbridge Map

Map provided by Enbridge https://www.enbridge.com/projects-and-infrastructure/projects/sunrise-expansion-program#projectdetails:project-map

Agassiz Speedway Memorial Race Results

On August 12th, Councillor Post attended the Len “Porky” Jansen Memorial Race Late Model Invitational at the Agassiz Speedway, where $25,000 in prize money was awarded. Congratulations to local winner Dave Key and the Agassiz Speedway on another successful event!

The next race is on Saturday, August 26th. For more information see: www.agassizspeedway.com/ .

Swimathon Update

Councillor Spaeti attended the Swimathon held on August 12^th at the Ferny Coombe Pool and is happy to report that over $3,300 was raised for the Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre. Thank you to the Agassiz Harrison Aquanauts for running the event and to everyone who participated or donated!

If you would like to contribute to the building of the new pool, please visit www.kentbc.ca/fill_the_pool/.