Welcome

Update for Old Fort residents – October 26, 2020

Following the landslides of 2018 and 2020 which affected access to the community of Old Fort, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) committed to providing residents with a comprehensive report to help gain knowledge of geohazards and associated risks, as well as to help the PRRD with the consideration of potential risk mitigation strategies for the identified high-risk areas.

In December 2019, the PRRD contracted Tetra Tech, a leading provider of engineering services worldwide, to complete the report. Tetra Tech has made good progress, but the process requires very extensive research and technical analysis, and the PRRD and the consultants want to make sure that the report is as comprehensive and informative as possible so that the PRRD, Old Fort residents and other stakeholders have the best possible information to guide them going forward.

Originally promised by September 2020, the complexities of the research and analysis mean the report will not be available until the first quarter of 2021. We understand that residents are extremely anxious to receive this information and we apologize for this extended timeline.

Tetra Tech is moving as quickly as possible to provide the report without compromising the quality of the research and technical analysis required. We are committed to sharing the report with you as soon as we can. Thank you.

Chair Brad Sperling

2021 PRRD Board Meeting Schedule

The PRRD Board approved the 2021 PRRD Board Meeting Schedule at its October 22, 2020 meeting.

The Peace River Regional District released a letter sent to the parties with candidates running in the upcoming BC election asking for assistance to negotiate a community measures agreement to mitigate the impacts of Site C on regional district residents and services.

Letters were sent to candidates and parties in the Peace River North and South ridings on October 16, 2020. The PRRD Board of Directors looks forward to hearing from candidates on their parties’ views ahead of the October 24 BC provincial election.

For more information:

Click here to read Letter to Candidates

Click here to read the Media Release

Click here to read PRRD Site C Community Measures Agreement Background Information

Board Meeting Agenda – October 22nd

The agenda for the PRRD Board meeting to be held at 10 am on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at the PRRD Office Boardroom located at 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, is now posted to the website and is available for viewing.

As of June 1st, Board Meetings are open to the public; however, only 4 additional people are permitted. If you wish to attend a Board Meeting for a specific agenda item, please email prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca to request a spot.

To follow social distancing requirements, please continue to watch the Board meetings livestreamed over Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPRRD/

Rose Prairie Water Station July Update

After reviewing a number of options for the Rose Prairie Water Station, the Peace River Regional District will be moving forward with the installation of a pilot, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Filter, at the Rose Prairie Water Station. Once the modular unit is in place, it is estimated that the pilot will run for 4-6 weeks to ensure the water meets acceptable health standards for the residents of Electoral Area B.

The GAC Filters will be installed at the Rose Prairie Water Station over the summer, during which time the water will continue to be tested to ensure the new filters are working as expected and the water is meeting Northern Health standards. The pilot study for the GAC Filters will be installed on the Bottle Fill, with the commissioning and opening of the Bottle Fill planned to take place late August/early September at the earliest. If the pilot test on the Bottle Fill system is successful then full-scale design and construction will be the included next steps.

We want to thank residents once again for their patience throughout this project. The Staff and Directors at the PRRD are looking forward to seeing the Rose Prairie Water Station fully operational and serving the residents of Electoral Area B in 2020.


Why Will Only the Bottle Fill be Open?: The bottle fill will be open as a pilot project, to make sure the GAC Filter system is working as expected before implementing the solution for the whole system. The cost to install GAC Filters on the bottle fill is much less than installing the filters for the entire Water Station. By testing the GAC Filters on the bottle fill first, it allows us to have increased certainty in the solution before spending additional money.

When Can We Expect the Full Site (Tank Fill and Bottle Fill) to be Open?: The Bottle Fill is a pilot test to ensure that the GAC Filters will work as expected before installing them on the entire system. Staff and consultants will be evaluating how the GAC Filters are performing for the Bottle Fill and will make recommendations based on the data they receive to determine when the Full Site might be able to open. The recommendations are expected to be evaluated in October to determine the best course of action and timeline for the full opening of the Rose Prairie Water Station.

Will the Water in the Bottle Fill be Safe?: Water samples from the new GAC filtered water system will be thoroughly tested before the Bottle Fill station opens and will continue to be tested daily after the bottle fill opens to the public to make sure the water continues to meet Northern Health standards.

The City of Fort St. John and the Peace River Regional District have been working in partnership towards an adjustment of property lines for the Festival Plaza Development.

The Festival Plaza, which will be located on the southeast corner of 100 Street and 96 Avenue, was identified in the Downtown Action Plan as one of 10 Big Moves to Energize the Downtown. The development will consist of a covered shelter, food truck stalls, performance space and washrooms. It will be a year-round home for the farmers market, community events, food vendors, buskers, social gatherings and public art.

The Peace River Regional District will be placing public notices as per the requirements of the Local Government Act regarding the disposition of this property.

Construction on this project is slated to begin in Summer 2020, stay up-to-date with all City of Fort St. John Capital Projects at www.fortstjohn.ca/capital-projects.

To see the full press release, please click the link below.

Media Release – City and PRRD Announce Agreement for Festival Plaza Lands

Old Fort Updates

To read All Old Fort Emergency Updates on Behalf of MOTI, Click Here

To Read the Old Fort Emergency Plan, Click Here

Board Meetings

All PRRD Board Meetings will be live-streamed on the PRRD Facebook page to allow the public to view Board Meetings. Note that due to room occupancy limits, gallery seating for the public is limited to 4 people in order to ensure physical distancing. Please check our “COVID-19 Resources for Residents” page for a quick reference guide on attending Board meetings.

Facility Status

See Quick Reference Guides for more info!

PRRD Main Office in Dawson Creek – open to the public
PRRD Office in Fort St John – open to the public
Charlie Lake Fire Hall – open by appointment (250 785-1424)
PRRD Warehouse – open by appointment (250 784-3200)
Landfills & transfer stations – open see schedule
Water Stations – open
Charlie Lake Sewer Receiving – open
Share Sheds (open June 15th)

Regional Parks

See Quick Reference Guide for more info!

Blackfoot Regional Park – open for camping (first come first served basis)
Spencer Tuck Regional Park – open for day use
Sundance Lake Regional Park – open for day use
Minaker Regional Park – closed
Montney Regional Park – open for day use
Iver Johnson Community Park – open for day use
Note: All PRRD Parks Washroom / Outhouse Facilities are open but are not cleaned daily

2019 CARIP Report

The Peace River Regional District is pleased to release the 2019 Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) report.

Click here to read the report

Sandbags Available for PRRD Residents

Sandbags are available for PRRD Residents at several locations around the Peace Region to help prevent flooding on their properties.