A critical upgrade is about to be made to the Hammersley pump station in the District of Kent, thanks to a contribution from the government.
An announcement was made earlier this week that $330,000 would be contributed to the pump station upgrade that will improve flood protection in the Agassiz area and work to protect fish.
The money will come from the Flood Protection Program, part of the Building Canada Fund. The announcement was made by the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Federal Minister for State for Western Economic Diversification and the Honourable Steve Thomson, Minster of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, on behalf of the Honourable Shirley Bond, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General for British Columbia.
The upgrade is just one phase of the upgrades planned for the aging infrastructure, and will include the detailed design and construction of an additional flood box and control gate at the pump station.
The upgrade will improve the capacity of the pumping station — a critical component of the District’s drainage system used to help alleviate the risk of flooding to homes, agricultural lands, businesses, and infrastructure. Hammersley pump station is at the base of Mt. Woodside, at Mountain Slough.
In addition the upgrade will significantly benefit the environment by improving fish passage.
“We thank both federal and provincial governments, in particular the Honourable Lynne Yelich and the Honourable Steve Thomson,” said John Van Laerhoven, Mayor of the District of Kent.
"With the assistance of our funding partners, we are able to take another important step to make our community safer by reducing water level fluctuations upstream and alleviating flood issues caused by heavy storm events during the fall and winter months. In addition, this phase of the project will also enhance fish access and increase productivity on our agricultural lands.”
Federal and provincial governments provide up to two-thirds of the funding for eligible project costs, with the District of Kent covering the remainder of the project funding.
Since the beginning of this partnership, federal, provincial and local governments have committed to 137 projects with a combined total value of nearly $125 million to protect communities against flood hazards throughout British Columbia.
"Drainage issues are a major priority for the District of Kent and their residents,” said Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon MP Mark Strahl. “I'm pleased to see our government working with our provincial counterparts to deliver real results in our local communities."
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