Dalrymple – Rec Centre Water Woes Still Unresolved

Fall River (D2N) – The fire department is in it’s new home, and residents are already using the Gordon R. Snow Recreation Centre in Fall River. But, since taking office last fall, HRM Councillor Barry Dalrymple has been busy trying to find a remedy to the water problems plaguing the Centre, which has been at the middle of controversy since its beginning.

The first issue to arise was the matter of the Centre being built at the Fall River Jefferson property location, despite a vote by area residents to have it built at the McDonald property in Waverley. At the time, former Councillor Krista Snow gave a number of reasons for the HRM staff decision to build the Centre in Waverley despite the residents vote, including a problem with mercury and old mine shafts at the Waverley location, an issue that is no longer said to be a problem. As well, at that time, Snow said the staff recommendation to build the Centre in Waverley came down to cost issues; at that time neither the provincial nor federal government had given funding commitments, although both later did come on board with funding for the project.

And the now-infamous Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Centre, which was held only two weeks before the municipal election in the October, caused quite a stir as well, with many people voicing the opinion the ceremony was held prematurely to boost Snow’s chances of winning against Dalrymple in the then-looming municipal election. When Snow lost, Dalrymple found himself left to deal with the Centres burden of being delayed by months in opening and of having insufficient water.

Although the environmentally friendly design of the building includes a rooftop cistern that collects “grey water” from snow and rain that is supposed to be used to flush toilets, there is insufficient water to do so. “We are still trucking in water,” said Dalrymple, “at least once a week. It runs approximately $240 a load. That is to flush toilets and to fill fire trucks. And we also have to pay to bring in bottled water to drink. We can’t continue like this. There are still no showers. We need a long-term solution, and there is only a short-term solution in place right now.”

Dalrymple has asked Council to do a feasibility and cost study of connecting to the municipal water supply, “from either Ingram Drive, or from off the Windsor Junction Road. These are the two closest places,” he said. The study would be done by HRM staff. The suggestion of taking water from the lake is “just not feasible,” said Dalrymple. “It would mean building pumping stations, treatment stations, water lines and piping; it is just too expensive to do that.”

“We need to consider how much it will cost and to consider potential partnerships with private enterprises,” said Dalrymple, “such as the senior’s property and the Lockview High P3 School, as well as the provincial government for its two schools. We need to look at the Rec Centre partnering with those. In partnership, we need all together to use those funds to match some kind of Federal Infrastructure. That’s the report I’ve asked HRM staff to do, and to come back to Council with the results.”

Dalrymple said residents should not be expected to shoulder the extra costs of trucking in water to the Rec Centre. “We are already paying a massive area rate on the building,” he said. “It’s time for someone else to pay. This is uncharted territory; there is no time-line, we are waiting for the study.”

Many residents of Fall River have had to deal with water issues for years, including insufficient water levels in wells, and an abundance of iron, sulphur, and lime in some water sources. Most recently, Georges P. Vanier Junior High School and Ash Lee Jefferson Elementary School in Fall River were shut down and students were sent home early due to an unnamed water issue. As of Monday, March 30, the schools were still under a boil-water order, however it has not been confirmed whether the water problem with the schools and the Rec Centre were related.

The Councillor assures residents he is working diligently to find a workable and cost-efficient solution to the water problem. “If we could find a way to have the water brought through to these places, no matter what the problems are now, they would be resolved,” said Dalrymple.