Funding approval for local groups
Starting this year, the District of Vanderhoof will provide $5,000 annually to the Nechako Valley Search and Rescue for operating costs, on the condition that the team provides its operating budget to the district council each February.
In the past, the district provided funding for the team’s other costs, such as insurance and equipment.
NVSAR is currently leasing its new home on Burrard Avenue from the district for $1 per year. The group moved into the building last fall, finishing its renovations this January.
$5,425 and $5,000 of funding was also approved for the Rip’n the North Bike Club and the Nechako Valley Exhibition Society at the Jan. 25 council meeting.
Limiting commercial vehicle speed in downtown Vanderhoof
A proposed new traffic bylaw will limit speed of commercial vehicles on Burrard Avenue in downtown Vanderhoof.
Limiting vehicles over 13,700 kg to travel at 30 kilometres per hour, the new bylaw originated from the RCMP and residents’ concerns on heavy vehicles’ ability to stop or slow down in the downtown core, while travelling at 50 kilometres per hour.
Another concern involves the main street’s increased traffic in recent years, with more heavy vehicles travelling through downtown regularly.
The public can now provide feedback on the proposed bylaw, before final approval by the district council in late February.
Wood Stove Survey
A door-to-door wood stove survey is coming to Vanderhoof this year, with support from the Ministry of Environment.
The survey will collect data on the number of wood stoves in town, whether the wood stoves have emissions certification, wood burning habits, and general feedback on local air quality.
The information will provide a good start for Vanderhoof’s potential new wood burning bylaw, which is currently in discussion by the district’s environment committee, Clement said.
For the ministry as well, the collected data will help staff to investigate local wood stove exchange programs, provide targeted education, and understand the distribution area of the emission source.
Community Forest update
A forest stewardship plan for Vanderhoof’s community forest is currently in the works, as the District of Vanderhoof prepares for a final confirmation from the provincial government on the forest’s ownership.
With an annual limit of 16,000 cubic metres of non-pine wood, a total of 80,000 cubic metres could be cut per year for the first five years — the long-term annual allowable cut is 45,000 cubic metres per year.
Depending on approval, logging of the community forest may start in the summer, said CAO Tom Clement.
- with files from the District of Vanderhoof