Sawyer’s Subdivision, Red Creek South, Bear Flats and South Montney included in proposal
The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is consulting with residents in parts of Electoral Areas B and C on the proposed expansion of the Charlie Lake Fire Protection Area to include some 175 properties in Sawyer’s Subdivision, Red Creek South, Bear Flats and South Montney. The new service would be provided by the Charlie Lake Fire Department.
Residents are invited to one of two virtual town halls on June 15 to get information and ask questions about the proposed expansion. The meeting for Electoral Area C residents takes place at 5pm, and for Electoral Area B residents at 7pm.
“The Peace region has seen some serious wildfires in the area in recent years, especially in 2016, and some residents have asked the PRRD to consider expanding Charlie Lake’s fire service to include these new areas,” says PRRD Board Chair Brad Sperling. “These engagement meetings and our online engagement process are intended to help us understand the level of support for the proposed service and what questions people have. The Regional Board needs this information to make a decision on the bylaw amendment that this proposal would require.”
If the Regional Board provides consent, the new service would be paid for by a tax on property owners in the four areas.
Service expansions of this type can be done if the Electoral Area Director and the majority of the Regional District Board are in favour of expanding. However, most regional districts consult with the public before doing so. PRRD staff will summarize the results of the engagement process in a report to the Regional Board in August.
The PRRD sent an information packet and survey to property owners in the proposed expansion areas in May. That survey is also available on an interactive project web page on the PRRD’s Have Your Say platform at haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/clfse.
