Kamloops, BC – July 21, 2022 – The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) is hosting two information meetings for residents in Cherry Creek to provide details about the proposed Cherry Creek Fire Protection Area.
Both meetings will take place on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. A virtual meeting will be held from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm via Zoom. The link to attend that meeting can be found here. An in-person meeting will then be held from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Cherry Creek Ranch Equestrian Facility, located at 5420 Trans-Canada Highway West.
On May 19, 2022, the Board of Directors approved a feasibility study for the expansion of the existing Tobiano Fire Protection Area to include Cherry Creek. The feasibility study was completed by Dave Mitchell & Associates Ltd. A copy of the report can be found here.
The purpose of both meetings will be to present the findings of the feasibility study to residents, as well as to present the tax implications of establishing fire protection service in Cherry Creek. Residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on whether or not they are in favour of the TNRD moving forward with a formal public assent vote (referendum).
Residents may also provide feedback through an online survey, by clicking here. Copies of the survey will also be available to fill out at the in-person information meeting.
“Given the proximity of Tobiano and Cherry Creek, we feel it is prudent to evaluate the concept of having one fire hall and department to service both communities,” said Jamie Vieira, Deputy General Manager of Operations. “Cherry Creek has seen rapid growth, and during the most recent public meeting in the summer of 2021, the desire to have fire protection was voiced strongly.”
A public assent process would be required for the fire protection service area to be expanded to include Cherry Creek, for the maximum tax requisition to be set, and to approve borrowing for construction of a new fire hall.
If the Board of Directors supports moving forward with seeking public assent, staff will recommend an assent vote (referendum) to be carried out at the same time as the General Local Elections on October 15, 2022.
Following the virtual information meeting, a recording will be available to view on the TNRD YouTube channel, which can be found here. Further background information can be found on the new TNRD webpage: tnrd.ca/cherry-creek-fire-protection-service.
Media Contact:
Jamie Vieira, Deputy General Manager of Operations
Thompson-Nicola Regional District
Tel.: 250 377-8673
Email: jvieira@tnrd.ca