Brown is the new green in the District of Port Hardy.
That is the slogan the district is adopting as dry conditions have prompted them to limit residential water consumption and amend their bylaw. “We are having an issue with our water supply,” said Mayor Hank Bood. Since mid-May, levels have been going down in the Tsulquate River, Port Hardy’s water source, and demand has gone up between 25 and 30 per cent. The amount of rainfall received in May was 90 per cent less than it was in the two previous years. “I’m in support of this. I’m all for the brown grass,” said Councillor Pat Corbett-Labatt, however, she is concerned about the number of spots in town where there are leaks.
Councillor Dennis Dugas agreed saying there is a spot on Granville Street where “you see water running down that road into the ditch. “That water has been running like that for months. Where are we with putting pressure on them to fix things?” Dugas asked.