The Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake鈥檚 new chief administrative officer says the Village will likely sign on to a new bylaw adjudication system set forth by the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN), but for one local resident, change can鈥檛 come soon enough.
For Sep Shanks, the announcement likely brings limited comfort. Shanks has been complaining to the Village since 2020 about the state of a neighbouring yard on 7th Avenue, which he describes as full of junk, scrap steel, and abandoned vehicles. He says little has changed in five years.
鈥淭he Village is continuing to work towards resolving unsightly premises concerns throughout the community, however, we cannot disclose details regarding any particular enforcement action,鈥� said CAO Ryan Nitchie. 鈥淭he Village is aware of an undisclosed number of unsightly premises in the community and we continue to work with homeowners and residents to find solutions.鈥�
Nitchie said the Village plans to join a new regional bylaw adjudication system once it is finalized by the RDBN, which he believes will lead to improved enforcement across 亚洲天堂 Lake.
鈥淭he Village anticipates that bylaw enforcement throughout the community will be improved once this new system is in place,鈥� he said.
鈥淔or the past five years, I have been going into the village office about every six months to complain, believing all the while that the authorities would do what is required of them,鈥� Shanks told The Lakes District 亚洲天堂 in a prior interview. 鈥淰isits are always met with excuses [about] why nothing could be done, that the Village had their hands tied until they were given authority from the provincial government to force homeowners to comply with Village bylaws.鈥�
Shanks said he has spoken directly with multiple council members over the years, including Rob Krause, Kevin White, Ken Chalmers, and Mayor Henry Wiebe, as well as former CAO Sheryl Worthing. Each, he said, visited the property in person.
鈥淲e discussed the issue with the property owners and asked that they comply with Village bylaws,鈥� Worthing said.
Krause, who was initially tasked with handling the issue in 2020, declined to comment, citing ongoing bylaw enforcement.
In a previous update, the Village said it was working with the property owners and hoped to resolve the matter this spring, weather permitting. For now, Shanks continues to wait, likely hoping the promised changes to the bylaw system will finally bring a resolution to a long-standing dispute.
鈥擶ith files from Alexander Vaz
