By Roger White

2016 Year in Review — December

Dec 31, 2016 | 11:00 AM

 As we prepare to say goodbye to 2016, BattlefordsNow.com is taking a look at some of the top news items that made headlines and newsmakers over the past 12 months.

The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team made a grim discovery in Canoe River. Ile a la Crosse RCMP received a report that a vehicle entered the river near kilometer 130 on Highway #155. The RCMP Underwater Team was called in and located a 55-year-old female deceased inside a submerged truck. Later, a 53-year-old male was also located deceased in Canoe River. Both individuals are from Beauval, SK and were reported missing by family on November 29.

The Battlefords River Valley isn’t in jeopardy, but tough decisions were going to be made about its future moving forward. The river valley between North Battleford and the Town of Battleford is a destination hot spot for both communities. It provides trails along the North Saskatchewan River which separates town and city. Half of the funding for its upkeep and growth has come from the province and then matched by both the town and city. Over the past summer however, the province decided to cut $86,000 worth of funding due the billion dollar deficit it faces. North Battleford Mayor, Ryan Bater said although the reduction of funding is a big blow, the river valley is not in peril. The mayor said there were two obstacles that had to be overcome. First is to develop a new governance structure for the River Valley Board and second is to develop a capital budget in order to address not only maintenance, but any future projects.

The waterline between the town and city, which had been helping supply water to the city of North Battleford, would not be open for much longer, according to town councillor Doug Laing. The line was set to be closed off for the winter once the temperatures droped too low or the city had their new filtration system properly in place. Laing says that the line was supposed to be shut off in November, but they were happy to help the city when they can. Even with the line still open, Laing said the water plant in Battleford is operating as it always has.

There seemed to be more room for renters in North Battleford, based off a report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The report showed an increase in vacancy rates in the city, up three percent from last year. Howeve,r the more concerning number was the 12.6 percent jump in vacancies for apartments with three or more bedrooms. Ramona Maraj with Macro Properties in North Battleford pointed to people leaving the city for work elsewhere as a concern for the renters market. While she said the vacancy hike was concerning, they were used to fluctuations in the market and considering the economic situations, overall vacancy rates were at reasonable numbers.

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Repairs to North Battleford’s water tower were on the horizon. Proposed repairs in the 2017 draft budget included structural repairs to the water bowl; fill tube and legs of the tower. It also needed cathodic protection to prevent corrosion. According to the budget document, repairs would ensure the tower was structurally sound and the water inside was safe, and would be much cheaper than eventually having to demolish the tower and build a new one.