Image: Village of Harrison Hot Springs / Harrison Hot Springs mayor Ed Wood says he's speechless and ecstatic over news that his municipality will receive $6 million in funding to build a waterfront dike that will help protect the village from flooding. MP Brad Vis announced the funding allocation earlier this week on his Facebook page.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Harrison Hot Springs waterfront dike

Federal grant of $6 million to fund waterfront dike in Harrison Hot Springs

Apr 22, 2023 | 9:24 AM

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS — Harrison Hot Springs mayor Ed Wood didn’t think his municipality would ever receive funding for waterfront infrastructure upgrades that will build a dike and help protect the town on the banks of the Harrison Lake from flooding.

That feeling of uncertainty changed this past Monday, April 17 when MP Brad Vis, representing Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon of which Harrison is included, announced that the Village of Harrison Hot Springs will receive $5,999,350 for waterfront infrastructure updates.

“It is long overdue and it is just fantastic news,” said Wood, who was elected to council in the October 2022 municipal election. “This is for flood mitigation. It will protect the whole village. I have been fighting for this for years to see monies come through. I’m speechless and ecstatic. I don’t think anybody believed the funding would come through, so this is a surprise. I thank Brad Vis for that. He’s a great man.”

Wood says there are areas along the waterfront where the dike is 3/4 of a metre lower than when it was originally designed for in 1948.

“The dike will go the whole waterfront,” Wood pointed out. When asked about a timeline, Wood said, “It will take months [before it starts] because we’ll go into a public open house. It will affect the appearance of the waterfront. We got to make sure it works with everybody so that we have the most effective way of building a dike, achieved at the most economical cost, and keeps the beauty of our surroundings at check.”

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As far as when the grant funding will be received by his municipality, Wood believes it would happen after progress payments are made.

“It’s just been announced, so details are scarce,” Wood said.

The funding originates from the Canada Community-Building Fund and is administered through a tripartite agreement between the government of Canada, government of British Columbia, and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. It provides upfront, predictable long-term funding to help address local infrastructure and capacity-building priorities. Over $280 million is delivered every year to 189 communities across British Columbia, according to the federal government.