By Jeff Nagel – BC Local News
UBCM delegates passed a Burnaby-sponsored resolution calling on the federal government to allow continued public ownership of water and sewer plants when doling out infrastructure grants.
Ottawa requires big local projects in line for grants to first go through a P3 assessment to see if money can be saved by building them as public-private partnerships.
The issue has been hot in the Fraser Valley, where Mission and Abbotsford councils are split over whether a shared water supply expansion should be publicly or privately built. Abbotsford is now pursuing the P3 water project itself, over Mission’s objections.
Metro Vancouver also faces decisions on the use of P3 partners as it plans to rebuild two major sewage treatment plants and add new waste-to-energy plants.
Public sector unions had urged civic reps to take the anti-P3 stand.
