At the local city council meeting on Tuesday the chair and administrators of the community futures  had a delegation. They expounded on the 10 year relationship between them and the City.( they do the city’s economic development.)

They announced that Environment Canada is going to have a weather station here so we will be current on the computers . We presume with our postal code. They also spoke on the  pending ILM or Lower Mainland Transmission project 500 KV line. Proclaiming it to be coming. Estimates of the upgrade are about 600 million dollars 543 person years of employment.

My memory of working about the Revel stoke Dam area including the Mica and 5 mile dam site endures me to this.

The Nicola substation less then 10 kilometers from here is a direct feed from that dam and the 5 mile dam just got another turbine generator at a cost of about 1and 1/2 billion.The upgrade was scheduled years ago and it is said they had trouble getting contractors. They are calling for peak  construction of the line upgrade to be in 2012/14 with 376 of the person years being expended then. The construction activity should help Merritt. However there is no guarantee for local hires as the contractors hire according to their need and efficiency.

There could be real economic impact in our view or it could be bottled and self contained. Announcements are one thing start dates another .The contractor needs to submit bids and be awarded as yet , so be careful with speculative investment.

These  two  500 KV lines  below connect  Revelstoke dams the lower  mainland now, and are part of the Interior Lower Mainland under the BC transmission corporation:

5L81 and 5L82 connect Nicola (NIC) Substation in the South Interior to Ingledow (ING) and Meridian (MDN) substations in the LM.

We will try to find another confirmed source to validate the announcement.

There seems to be a bent here in Merritt for non elected officials making announcements and seeking political input, something that democracy trys to avoid.

Today in History, March 25 1958

Canada’s  jet fighter the Avro Arrow makes its first flight.