Ministry of Health staff have had a change of heart.
Staff have agreed to meet with representatives from Spallumcheen council at next week’s Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention in Victoria to discuss the Hullcar Aquifer and Steele Springs Water District.
The aquifer and users of Steele Springs have been under a water quality advisory for more than two years.
Health staff had originally said they would not meet with Spallumcheen to discuss Hullcar, which was documented on Wednesday’s front page of The Morning Star and available online at www.vernonmorningstar.com.
“This afternoon (Wednesday), the township has been confirmed for a meeting with Ministry of Health staff about Hullcar Aquifer and SSWD,” said township administrator Corey Paiement.
“This meeting is instead of a meeting with the Minister of Health (Terry Lake).”
The Minister of Transportation, Todd Stone, has declined a meeting with the township.
Paiement, Mayor Janice Brown and councillors Christine Fraser, Ed Hanoski, Todd York and Joe Van Tienhoven will be representing the township at UBCM, and have a number of meetings planned including discussions with environment and agriculture ministers Mary Polack and Norm Letnick and their respective staffs about Hullcar and Steele Springs.