INNOVATION November-December 2017

P R O F E S S I O N A L S E R V I C E S

F E A T U R E

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In addition to diverting the creek while Copcan removed the old concrete and replaced it with boulders and river rock, the first phase also included the construction of an award-winning, accessible covered log and timber footbridge, designed and built by Tyee Homes, and the first of three ponds, both of which, says Barraclough, were immediate hits. As soon as the good weather arrived in 2013, “the kids started fishing and swimming in the pond and playing along the beach beside it,” while the covered bridge rapidly became a hot spot for photos. Creekside property owners also saw the value of their new “waterfront” land go up substantially. Phase 2 started in 2015 and was again constructed by Copcan, which proved so committed to the project that they returned to Kimberley council, after the city rejected tenders for being in excess of available project funding, to negotiate a reduced price for the work. This second phase, completed in 2016, included two more covered footbridges and the remainder of the ponds. “The ponds are interesting,” says Barraclough, “because we designed them to have access ramps and gravel traps that allow city staff to scoop out river rock that travels down from upstream and keep the deep water pools clear for fish.” Adds LaCas, “The town could also potentially sell the rock they remove,” so the ponds work on a number of levels. Phase 2 also involved working out ways to avoid a pipeline running parallel to the original flume from the old Sullivan Mine, once the largest lead and zinc mine in the world before it closed in 2001. The pipeline, built by Teck to divert acid drainage away from Mark Creek, travels to a water treatment plant several kilometres downstream. “We couldn’t break the pipeline, or we’d risk major soil and water contamination,” says LaCas. “So the challenge was finding out exactly where the pipe was and altering the wall design to suit. We needed to be very flexible always in our flood design, and be ready to change the design quickly to fit an unexpected sewer line or gas line, or add a feature.”

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