RDNO Sets APP In Motion For North Rail Trail

The Regional District of North Okanagan has set the process in motion to seek approval to borrow funds for its share of the proposed North Okanagan Rail Trail.

Board Chair Bob Fleming says directors determined the number of eligible voters for the alternate approval process.

“The areas that were involved was City of Armstrong, City of Enderby, Village of Lumby, Township of Spall and Electoral areas D and F and that totaled 16 thousand 588.”

Meaning, at ten per cent, one thousand 658 would have to vote no to block the borrowing.

RDNO Directors have now established the bylaw to borrow 2.17 million dollars.

“There’s a form created where people could, if they chose, they could register their objection on this form and there’s a certain specified number of days.”

People would have from May 29th to July 17th to vote or not.

The form would be available on the RDNO website and other locations.

An information campaign will begin shortly

” Some of that’s contained in the form, but a lot of it will be around the information that’s available and that information has to get posted on the website. It also has to get published. ”

Bob Fleming says staff will be putting together all the details necessary, which could take a week or more.

If it goes through, the District’s loan would be for 20 years with a total annual payment of 159 thousand dollars a year.

Total cost of the project to purchase the 43 kilometres of CP Rail corridor from Sicamous to Spallumcheen is six and a half million dollars.

The provincial government and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District are also paying one-third each.

The CSRD will also be borrowing part of its cost.

The Splatsin First Nation has already acquired seven kilometres of the old rail line.