Village Projects & Initiatives

Timeline:  Construction to start in Summer 2018, with completion in Fall 2019.

Current Status: Through generous contributions from community and federal partners, the Pemberton Soccer Field project will begin construction this summer.  Situated on the recreation lands located on Pemberton Farm Road East, the grass soccer field will be constructed throughout the remainder of 2018 and open for use in Fall 2019.    

The completed project will include a 45m x 90m outdoor playing field, fencing, drainage and irrigation system.  While the total cost of the project is $1,643,329, there will be no tax dollars used toward the construction. 

Project Background:

The recreation land was gifted to the Village of Pemberton (Village) from the Den Duyf family in 2017.   Later that year, the Village received fill and preload for the soccer field from ‘The Ridge at Pemberton’ Developers in the form of Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) equalling $508,929.    The Village will also be providing $334,400 from its community funding programs.

In June 2018, the soccer field received a confirmation of funding from SLRD Electoral Area C. $500,000 will be contributed from the Federal Gas Tax Fund which have been provided to SLRD Area C, and Area C Amenity Funds. 

Each year, the Government of Canada provides over $278 million in funding for local government infrastructure across British Columbia through the Federal Gas Tax Fund. The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) administers the Federal Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

In early July, the Village learned that the soccer field would be receiving a $300,000 contribution towards the construction of the soccer field from the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation.

The soccer field is one of two proposed for the recreation lands.  Preparation for the second field is now underway; the preload used for the first soccer field will be used in preparation of the second field, thanks to CACs from Sunstone Developments Ltd.

The site concept for these lands also includes a recreation complex (with arena and swimming pool), parking and other playing fields, which will be developed in phases as funding permits.  For more information regarding the soccer field project and the recreation site, please visit https://www.pemberton.ca/municipal-services/recreation-leisure. 

The SLRD and the Village, through the Pemberton Valley Utilities and Services Committee (PVUS), have formally added the Pemberton Soccer Field to the Pemberton and District Recreation Service which establishes a funding framework for the maintenance and upkeep of shared recreation facilities, including the Pemberton & District Community Centre, the Youth and Senior’s Centre, Pemberton Meadows fields, Gates Lake Community Park, and the new soccer field.   

To learn more about PVUS and recreation services, visit www.slrd.bc.ca/Pemberton-AreaC/Recreation.

Contact Information: For project-related questions, please contact the Village Office at 604.894.6135

Related Documents

Village of Pemberton/SLRD Media Release

Timeline: The Friendship Trail Bridge Project is complete.

Current Status:  The Village of Pemberton was awarded $500,000 from the BikeBC Program for the Friendship Trail Bridge. The bridge design and construction drawings have been completed. Due to increased construction costs, we have experienced a delay in the project. Therefore, to ensure the Village receives the best value for money, we will be issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the construction and installation of the bridge. The RFP was issued in March 2018, and closes on April 17, 2018.  Once the construction schedule has been confirmed, we will share the timeline with the community. The project is slated to be completed in 2018.

Project Background: The Friendship Trail Bridge is part of the Friendship Trail, which is part of the Sea to Sky Trail and Trans Canada Trail. The aim of the Friendship Trail and Bridge is to provide a linear, safe connection between the Village, Plateau Neighbourhood, future recreation site and Lil’wat Nation.   In turn, detering commuters from accessing the Village core by Highway 99.

Project Details: The scope of the project includes the design and installation of a pedestrian/cycling/equestrian bridge on the south side of the Lillooet River, adjacent to Highway 99.

Contact Information: For project-related questions, please contact Tim Harris, Operations & Development Services Manager at 604.894.6135 or by email. 

Related Documents

Download the Friendship Trail Bridge Storyboards (April 11th Info Session)

Download the Project Update | Friendship Trail Bridge (September 2017)

Timeline:  December 2016 - July 2018

Current Status:  Complete. Zoning Bylaw 832, 2018 has been adopted by Council.

Project Background:  The current Zoning Bylaw No. 466, 2001 has been amended from time to time within the last 15 years including some major revisions relating to new residential developments.  The Village underwent a review and adoption of its Official Community Plan (Bylaw No. 654, 2011) several years ago which included new policies that must be incorporated into the zoning provisions. The Village is experiencing growth and development of home-based businesses and businesses involved in the sharing economy – technology driven businesses that did not exist and were never contemplated when the original bylaw was adopted.

Project Details:  The project will incorporate a community and stakeholder engagement component which will be announced once the program timeline has been confirmed.

Contact Information: For project-related questions, please contact Lisa Pedrini, Village of Pemberton Planner at 604.894.6135 or by email. 

Related Documents

Download the Consolidated Zoning Bylaw 832, 2018

Download Public Hearing Agenda Package

Download Public Hearing Presentation

Download Public Hearing Minutes

Download Correspondence Received Prior to Deadline

Download Correspondence Received After Deadline 

Download the Zoning Bylaw Frequently Asked Questions

Download the Consolidated Table of Amendments (from existing Bylaw 466 to Bylaw 832, 2018)

Download the Zoning Bylaw Report to Council

Draft Zoning Bylaw Storyboards (from the April 17th Feedback Meeting)

Related Documents

Zoning & Sign Bylaw Information Presentation

466 Consolidation of Zoning Bylaw (subject to review)

2016 Zoning Bylaw & Sign Bylaw Review

Zoning & Sign Bylaw Update Information

Timeline: Spring 2018

Current Status:  Exploration of Boundary Extension now complete.  Council did not proceed with application to the Province.

Contact Information: Contact Sheena Fraser, Manager of Corporate & Legislative Services at 604.894.6135 or sfraser@pemberton.ca.

Boundary Extension Open Houses

Wednesday, April 25, 2018
6pm-8pm
Signal Hill Elementary School, 1410 Portage Road

• Open House Storyboards
• Open House Feedback Form
  
  

Tuesday, May 15, 2018
6pm-8pm
Signal Hill Elementary School, 1410 Portage Road

• Open House Storyboards
• Open House Powerpoint Presentation
• Open House Feedback Form
• Updated Calculators
  • Residential | Farm Status (Class 9) | Commercial

BOUNDARY EXTENSION REPORTS, PRESENTATIONS & NOTES

• Report to Council (June 12th)
• Presentation to Council by Urban Systems (June 12th) 
• Open House Storyboards (May 15th)
• Open House Powerpoint Presentation (May 15th)
• Open House Feedback Form (May 15th)
• Frequently Asked Questions (May 9th Edition)
• Boundary Extension Presentation (May 8, 2018 Meeting)
• Boundary Extension Open House Storyboards (April 25, 2018 Meeting)
• Boundary Extension Open House Feedback Form (April 25, 2018)
• Boundary Extension Tax Calculator - Residential (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Boundary Extension Tax Calculator - Farm Status (Excel Spreadsheet)
• Council Presentation Update by Urban Systems (April 24, 2018)
• Council Presentation by Urban Systems (April 10, 2018)
• Letter to SLRD Area C Residents
• Boundary Extension Frequently Asked Questions

Current Status: The Mount Currie Landslide Risk Assessment (“Assessment”) is now complete.

The Assessment, conducted by BGC Engineering Inc. (“BGC”), was conducted to determine landslide and associated flood risk from the north face of Mount Currie, including risk to life, buildings, critical facilities, business activities, power and communication lines.

The Assessment has confirmed areas of instability that could result in small rockfall events and rare, but large-scale rock slope failures.

Due to Mount Currie’s size and the number of source zones for rockfalls, the Assessment states that engineered mitigation options are not feasible.

As a result, BGC has recommended monitoring as the most practical and cost-effective approach to risk management. The Assessment also recommends that land use be restricted in part or all of the areas modeled for rock avalanches, as any increase in development density would increase the population at risk.

Download the Mount Currie Landslide Risk Assessment.

• January 18, 2018 – News release: Mount Currie Landslide Risk Assessment Complete
• Mount Currie Landslide Hazard - Map
• January 18, 2018 – Frequently Asked Questions

Please join Elected Officials and staff from Líl’wat Nation, Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) and Village of Pemberton for a presentation of the findings of the Mount Currie Landslide Risk Assessment at one of two Community Information Meetings:

Each meeting will include a presentation by BGC Engineering, followed by a Question and Answer session.  

Background

Observed rock fall from Mt Currie has increased in the past few years, and was confirmed by an initial Information Note, "2016 Mount Currie Rock Fall and Local Instabilities," prepared by engineering staff from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (MFLNRORD) in October 2016. The Information Note identified concerns regarding potential instability along the Mount Currie Ridge and the subsequent potential impacts to Pemberton Valley residents. 

The Information Note states that "although rock falls of the recent size do not pose a risk to valley residents, the exposure of larger volumes of unsupported bedrock potentially could result in rock fall events that do pose a risk to valley residents." Given this, MFLNRORD recommended that a detailed analysis be undertaken to determine the potential types and size of landsides that might occur, and to determine the actual risk to the public. 

Shortly after receiving the Information Note, officials from the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD), Village of Pemberton and Lil'wat Nation requested funding from the Province to move forward immediately on the report's recommendation to secure a more detailed geo-technical analysis to quantify the hazard, evaluate the risk, and recommend potential risk reduction options. 

Funding for the study was confirmed in early December 2016, and a multi-agency steering committee with representatives from the SLRD, Village of Pemberton, Líl’wat Nation, EMBC and MFLNRO was convened shortly thereafter. On February 3, 2017 the SLRD, acting as an agent for and under the authority of the Province of B.C., issued a Request for Proposals regarding the work, and BGC Engineering was selected by the Steering Committee to conduct the work.

The project included kinematic rock analysis, landslide runout modelling and both quantitative and qualititative risk assessment parameters to the standards set out by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. A review of existing data on Mount Currie was conducted along with field survey work, including aerial, ground and seismic surveys.

Background information & resources

• October 24, 2016 MFLNRO Information Note - 2016 Mount Currie Rock Fall and Local Instabilities
• November 25, 2016 Joint News Release - Local Officials Advised of Updated Hazard Potential from Mount Currie Rockfall
• December 2, 2016 – Joint News Release: Funding Secured for Mount Currie Rock Fall Hazard Report
• February 3, 2017 - Request for Proposals: Quantitative Landslide Risk Assessment, Kinematic Rock Analysis and Landslide Runout Modelling - Mt. Currie

Timeline: Fall 2016 - Spring 2017

Current Status: Follow up Phase

Related Documents & Reports 

• Report to Council  - Water Treatment & Soda Ash Project (April 24, 2018)
• Water Conditioning Project Update (April 2018)

To view all related documents and reports, visit the Pemberton Water page.

System Start up Phase May 8th - 12th

During this phase, the system will be turned on and tested intermittently, and soda ash will begin to be injected into the system.

Commissioning Phase (15 days) May 12th - 31st

During this phase, staff will be running and monitoring the system consistently to ensure it maintains a stable pH level. If the level is maintained, monitoring will move to the Optimization Phase.

Optimization Phase (maximum of 3 months)

Once a stable pH has been established, staff will be monitoring pH and alkalinity levels throughout the distribution system on a weekly basis. The Village will also undertake regularly scheduled watermain flushing to purge the distribution system during this period. Throughout the Optimization Phase, staff will be sampling five locations within the water distribution system to monitor pH, alkalinity, copper, iron and lead. Staff will adjust the pH dosage accordingly based on the results of the sampling. The system will then be calibrated to maintain a pH level that achieves optimal results in reducing corrosion.

Follow up Phase (maximum of 6 months)

Staff will continue to monitor the system and carry out weekly testing for pH and alkalinity throughout our distribution system. At the end of the six months, if our results are within the Health Canada Corrosion Control Guidelines, we will move to the Operational Phase. If results are not within the Guidelines, the Village will consider corrosion inhibitors.

Operational Phase

Once the Follow up phase is completed, yearly sampling will be implemented for lead, pH, alkalinity, copper and iron during summer months. The Village will continue to work with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to confirm the required long-term routine testing schedule. It should be noted VCH continues to recommend flushing throughout the entire VCH region regardless if water treatment exists in municipal water systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the water conditioning system be up and running?

Once the injection system has been activated, our Operators will begin to add increments of soda ash to the system and then test the water before it reaches the distribution system. Once it’s had an opportunity to circulate through the system, pH and alkalinity will be continually monitored. Should the pH levels need to increase for optimal corrosion control, the Operators will add more soda ash and continue to test until optimal pH levels have been achieved.

Once the ideal soda ash dosage has been achieved, the system will need to run for one to two weeks to circulate the soda ash (at the appropriate level) to realize the optimum results of achieving pH levels between 7.5-9.5, which is an acceptable range according to the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines.

Do I need to flush once the soda ash implementation has begun?

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) recommends that all water system users should flush their water, regardless of the quality. While the Village’s water will not be considered corrosive after treatment implementation, it’s almost impossible to know what infrastructure each household has and what condition it is in. Houses with fittings, fixtures and/or pipes that contain lead could still result in increased metals in tap water, even though the water is being treated for corrosion control.

So, for optimal water quality out of the tap, VCH is recommending that everyone in their region flush their taps until the water turns cold in the morning prior to consumption.
Flushing isn’t just about controlling metals in drinking water; it’s also good practice for getting fresh from your tap, rather than drinking stagnant water that has sat in household pipes for longer durations. To conserve water, you can use your ‘first draw’ water from the tap for watering houseplants or washing dishes.

Project Background

To treat the low pH and alkalinity of the Village drinking water, the Village is installing a Soda Ash conditioning system.  The implementation of the soda ash system is estimated to cost roughly $560,000.  This has been allocated from Water Reserves and Community Works Gas Tax Funds, a yearly grant delivered to all local governments in British Columbia to support local priorities. The installation of the system is not anticipated to result in an increase in Utility rates at this time.

The annual cost to operate the conditioning system is estimated at $45,000 per year. This cost will be included in future water service budgets; in 2016 a prorated amount of $25,000 has been allocated as approved in the 2016 - 2020 Five-Year Financial Plan.

Download the May 2017 Water Update

Project Details: The project scope includes underground works, the expansion of the well house in Pioneer Park and the installation of the soda ash injection system.

Contact Information:  For project-related questions, please contact Tim Harris, Operations & Development Services Manager at 604.894.6135 or by email. 

Timeline: Summer 2017

Current Status: Consultation regarding Short Term Vacation Rentals has been completed.  The findings were considered during the Zoning Bylaw Update which was completed in July of 2018.

Project Background: The Village of Pemberton began the review of the Zoning Bylaw in January 2017. As per the Terms of Reference for this project, one of the key parts of the Review was to research zoning approaches used by other municipalities to address unregulated vacation, nightly and/or short term rentals through online accommodation booking sites such as Airbnb and VRBO and to assist with drafting new content around provisions to regulate vacation and short term rentals in Pemberton.

Project Detail: In March 2017, staff began initial public engagement on general aspects to be covered by the Zoning Bylaw and Sign Bylaw Review. These efforts included questions pertaining to resident’s opinions on a variety of topics as well as the issue of short term vacation rentals. The results of this initial round of public consultation has been used to inform the development of draft bylaws that staff are currently reviewing and which will be presented to the public via an Open House to be scheduled this fall. However, before the draft can be completed, staff wanted to seek targeted input on the short term vacation rentals issue in order to develop clear regulations in the new Zoning Bylaw.

In July 2017, staff contracted with the Whistler Centre for Sustainability to provide assistance with public engagement over this issue. Dan Wilson, Sustainability Planner with the Centre, has helped a number of BC communities determine a course of action to address short term vacation rentals through community engagement, and his expertise was felt to be a benefit to this process.

The Centre developed and facilitated a public engagement process consisting of key stakeholder interviews, three public information sessions and an online survey. To inform the process, the Centre developed three background briefs which were circulated during the information sessions and posted on the Village website. Over the months of July and August 2017, the Centre, with staff assistance, held a number of public information gathering sessions, interviewed key stakeholders and conducted an on-line survey to garner feedback from residents both opposed and in support of the operation of  homes as short term vacation rentals. Village staff also offered to host small group discussions on the topic but none were requested.

Contact Information: For project-related questions, please contact Lisa Pedrini, Manager of Development Services at 604.894.6135 x234 or by email. 

Related documents:

Short Term Rentals | Current Situation Briefing

Short Term Rentals | Practices Briefing

Short Term Vacation Rentals, What's the Deal? | Meeting Slideshow

Short Term Vacation Rentals Engagement Summary Report

Current Status: The One Mile Lake Park Master Plan has been completed and adopted by Council.

Download the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan

This infographic displays a snapshot of survey results collected last fall. More findings will be presented at the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan Open House, February 29, 2016, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Pemberton & District Community Centre, Room B. Everyone is invited to stop by, view the consultation results and other findings to date, and comment on future options.

Project Background:  The Village of Pemberton is re-initiating the update of the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan as a means to revise and improve upon the current plan, given that many of the directions contained in the 2005 Plan have been addressed. This Master Plan Update process was initiated in 2013; however, other commitments of the Development Services Department and eventual staff changes prevented the completion of the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan Update as anticipated.

In the spring of 2015, the Village of Pemberton Council highlighted the completion of the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan as a corporate priority. The One Mile Lake Park Master Plan will entail extensive public engagement and will be a tool for guiding the land use and opportunities/constraints of the park for the next 10 years in a manner that will contribute to an improved quality of experience for its users, as well as the protection of its overall environmental sustainability.

For more information, please see Terms of Reference,  Consultation Plan and the  One Mile Lake Environmental Conditions Report.

Contact Information: For information on the One Mile Lake Park Master Plan, please contact Lisa Pedrini, Planner at 604.894.6135 x234 or by email at lpedrini @ pemberton.ca.