By Wanda ChowNewsLeaderApr 06 2007 Burnaby News Leader
Burnaby Lake is sorely in need of dredging and Burnaby city hall is offering to lend the Greater Vancouver Regional District $10 million to help make it happen. The project, which will prevent the lake turning into a marsh (it’s filling in with silt from streams feeding it) while also turning it into a competitive rowing course and training facility, is estimated to cost $30 million. Burnaby has already committed $10 million while the provincial government promised $10 million during the 2005 election on the condition that the federal government contributes an equal amount. Then-federal environment minister Stephane Dion had said earlier that same year that Ottawa would help fund the project if the province got on board, but that all changed when the Conservatives won a minority government in 2006.
On Wednesday, Burnaby Coun. Pietro Calendino, a member of the GVRD parks committee, brought up the issue during a discussion of the committee’s strategic priorities plan. “I thought that perhaps one of the strategic priorities should be the dredging of Burnaby Lake, Burnaby Lake is a GVRD regional park,” Calendino said. He said it’s not surprising it wasn’t on the region’s priority list because the City of Burnaby had yet to formally discuss the issue with the GVRD nor even ask for funding support. That’s because it has been waiting for the past two years for Ottawa to come through with one-third of the required money. But the federal permit for the project will expire soon, by the end of the summer, he said, and while an extension is possible, it would only add another year.
“The federal government is really listening to our presentation but not making the commitment and Burnaby can’t wait, the lake can’t wait much longer. “It’s not a question that we want to replace the federal government, it’s a question that we have to get to work within the permit time limit and we need to have somebody coming in as the third [player] temporarily until the feds make a decision,” Calendino said. “It’s not that we’re letting [Ottawa] off the hook, it’s just that we need somebody to get started.” To that end, Burnaby has offered to loan $10 million from its casino and capital reserves in the event the GVRD doesn’t have the funds available for the unexpected expense, he said. “It’s playing a little bit with the priorities.”
Reaction at the GVRD parks committee table was mixed, he said. A number of new committee members weren’t familiar with the issue and some of those that were aware were reluctant to add in such a large money item as a regional priority without further discussion. Calendino said his proposal did have the support of a couple of committee members, and garnered an offer to lobby federal ministers and the prime minister on Burnaby’s behalf. “It was a little bit disappointing that the committee decided that it wasn’t in their plan at this time,” he said. While the land around it is a GVRD park, the lake itself, as with all internal bodies of water, is owned by the province. “So that’s another difficulty in making the decision.” The committee did agree the lake needs to be dredged. “It’s just where do they get the funding?” GVRD staff have been asked to report back to the committee on the issue at its next meeting in May. If approved it would then have to go to the GVRD board for funding approval.
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