File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Noble Creek farmers at least got City council to listen to them

Aug 16, 2023 | 5:06 AM

MOTHER NATURE made them do it. And the provincial government.

Boiling down some six hours of debate and discussion yesterday, that’s the gist of Kamloops City council’s defence of the mess surrounding the Noble Creek Irrigation System.

Users of the system have formed a society and asked the council to continue operating it until the end of 2024 to allow them time to investigate options.

The prolonged examination of grievances and possible steps began with Noble Creek farmers peppering council with questions, an exercise that revealed how much the councillors didn’t know about the system and the impacts of their decision to shut it down.

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To be fair, though, a key piece of information emerged: the problem isn’t money; it’s that the Ministry of Forests hasn’t allowed the City to complete rip rapping of the North Thompson River as it had planned to do to save the water intake and pump house from erosion.

It would take a thesis to explain the complexities but the day — which went until almost 10 p.m. before the meeting was finally adjourned — wasn’t without value.

Council still intends to shut down the system and refused to guarantee operation of it through next year, but after getting past some of its typically knee-jerk defensive reaction to criticisms, it approved several motions that soothed some feelings.

Staff was told to bring back a report on whether the system can be duct taped into next year and, at the same time, pursue the transfer of the City’s water licence to individual users.

Just as importantly is a commitment to reconstitute a stakeholders’ working group to assure clear communications, something that’s obviously been lacking.

Council has another assignment, though: to make it clear to the Ministry of Forests it must come to the table on the rip rapping issue to at least allow the temporary work done in the spring to remain in place.

Which is no small order.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.