I read with dismay and resignation that once again, the decision to build a wavepool by the current set of town councillors (save for Morgan Nagel) trumps actual issues facing almost all Cochranites.
The first instalment of the federal gas tax funding for 2016-2017 of $1,244,528 is currently designated to go to the aquatic/multi-sports centre project. This is not a surprise, as it was in the town’s 2016 budget. The funds can also go to roadway/bridge infrastructure, but they have not been designated to do so. I would encourage anyone who has suffered through the dismal 1A/22 intersection to write to the mayor and councillors asking them why the funds are not being used for something that is an actual need in Cochrane, and to adjust their priorities to benefit the majority of people who live in this town.
It may be too late to change the allocation of the federal gas tax funds this year, but given the state of the economy, there should be movement in the upcoming budget (watch for it in October) to deal with the pressing issue of the 1A/22 intersection. As an aside, the other day I drove past the new recreation facility going up in Rocky Ridge a few kilometres off the 1A Twelve Mile Coulee Road intersection. When it opens in 2017 a wave pool will be accessible by residents of Cochrane in just a 20-minute drive.
Theresa Kline
