The Thompson-Nicola Regional District officially opened two Lower Nicola institutions on Tuesday after putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into their upgrades.
The Lower Nicola Eco-Depot was part of a $15 million project to upgrade 16 eco-depot sites in the TNRD.
The federal-provincial joint Building Canada Fund provided $10 million for the upgrades, while the TNRD contributed the rest.
“As you can see now, it’s very organized and laid out very well,” said TNRD Chair Randy Murray. “For the future, I think this will serve as a starting point. For our children and everyone who follows us down the road, there will be more activity here. This is just the beginning.”
Murray said the district is something of a leader in terms of the network of eco-depots, which he expects to reduce waste in the long run.
“It’s evolutionary, and we’re heading in the right direction,” Murray said.
Murray added that the changes to the site have been generally well-received.
Students from Lower Nicola Indian Band also attended the grand opening of the eco-depot at 2348 Woodward Rd. as well as MLA Jackie Tegart who was on hand to help cut the ribbon.
“When I was growing up, a dump was just a dump,” Tegart said. “But you young people are the ones who are teaching your parents and your grandparents about recycling, and that is so important.”
Lower Nicola’s Smith Pioneer Park also held an official grand re-opening Tuesday to mark more than $300,000 in infrastructure improvements. The improvements include a walking track, wheelchair accessibility, new playground equipment, and a multipurpose playing field.
The federal government kicked in $55,000 to the project from the Gas Tax Fund, and $214,000 came from the Provincial Community Recreation Program. The remaining $40,000 came from the Lower Nicola Community Association.
“The community itself includes members who used to live here who still provide for us financially, which is something that says a lot about what they thought of the community when they lived here,” said Lower Nicola Community Association President Karen Knapp.
The TNRD also installed low-flow fixtures in the park’s washrooms.
“We have lots of folks in the audience here today who have worked on this park and they’ve worked on this park without being paid,” said Murray. “I would say they’ve turned that $300,000 into half a million dollars when you talk about labour costs, machinery, equipment and in-kind donation. We now have solid community infrastructure to build on.”
Morva Murray, a descendent of the Smiths after whom the park was named, also helped cut the ribbon.
Smith Pioneer Park is the only public park with recreation facilities in Lower Nicola. Students from Nicola-Canford Elementary School also attended the grand opening and barbecue.
