The City of Abbotsford has released a third-party engineering report written by consulting firm Kerr Wood Leidal (KWL) that examined restoring Sumas Lake, the concept at the centre of a University of British Columbia (UBC) paper published in early June.
KWL found the paper, “grossly underrepresented,” the price to buy properties that sit within in the former lakebed area by more than double.
Abbotsford Mayor Ross Siemens told CIVL Radio that while he full appreciates and understands the trauma caused to Indigenous peoples when the lake was drained a century ago, “we can’t go back unfortunately.”
Meanwhile, author of the UBC paper Riley Finn said he is, “happy that the paper has sparked so many discussions and prompted more rigorous analysis,” and that it was, “difficult,” to estimate costs, “without a specific plan.”
